


Mr Perfect, his angel and his demon (and Josh)

by Mell0_Mell0



Series: Mr Perfect, his Angel and his Demon [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Aromantic Character, Asexual Character, Bully, Bully North, Closeted Gay, Daniel is always angry, Dubious Consent, Highschool AU, Human AU, Josh is Done, Markus is perfect, Multi, North is a demon but everyone loves her, Origin Story, Rape, Sex Worker, Simon and Daniel are twins, Underage - Freeform, charismatic bisexual, except Daniel, no beta we die like men, simon is a cinnamon roll
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-08-10 22:11:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 12
Words: 28,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16463300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mell0_Mell0/pseuds/Mell0_Mell0
Summary: Highschool AUMarkus is the school idol, Josh is his shadow, Simon one of his fan, and North is Simon's bully. And somehow they all started to care about each other.Or three boys plays saviors for a (supposed) distressed damsel.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey hey ! Here's a little origin story for a serie of one shots incoming on Markus, Simon and North (coz Markus shouldn't have to chose between the two, he deserves both).  
> It was supposed to be pretty light and relaxing to write but I'm a whore for angst so here it is !  
> Also I'm not a native english speaker so sorry if there's weird sentences and stuff. Don't hesitate to point me my mistakes !
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy it !

North felt bad. She was feeling utterly dirty when she went to high school that morning. Her back was sore, her legs were hurt, and so were her arms. She had bruises on her wrists, and a whole constellation of hickeys and bites on her neck. She hated it. She wanted to scratch her skin off just to erase the grimy feeling on it, the marks and the memories of the sensation. She hated it, she hated her body, she hate her situation. She hated herself.

North was still scratching her neck when midday came. It wasn’t bleeding yet, just swollen red and obviously mistreated. North couldn’t care less. She couldn’t care less about the look people were sending her way. She couldn’t care less about the rumors running around the school. They could treat her like a bitch, if they wanted. She didn’t care. At all. Never. 

She didn’t have any money for lunch today, having spend what she earned the day before to pay her week-late rent just before going to school. Now she was broke again. Now she was going to starve until she could earn some money again, or stealing it to someone.

North opted for the latter solution. She hadn’t eaten in three days, and she could feel it at how slow her body was recovering from yesterday’s activity. North was tired. North was hungry. North just wanted to drink something other than the water full of sediment coming from her flat or the school’s sinks.

So yes, North was going to steal money today. And she had her victim in sight.

Simon was a cute guy from the class next door. They had only one class together, but North knew the boy had money from his part-time job. It wasn’t the first time North would try to take his money. She had already done it a few times before. Simon was an easy target. He didn’t fight back, he was kind, he was easy to pick on with, he was easy to scare. North knew that the boy had some coins in his pockets, considering she saw him leave a house the night before after some babysitting. It was good. It was perfect.

North didn’t dare to approach the boy yet. He was chatting happily with his twin, a certain Daniel. Where Simon was a literal angel, Daniel was his total opposite. Bad personality, full of glares and sarcasm and quick to fight anyone who would try and pick up on his brother. Him and North had already fist-fight a few times.

She stayed a few feet away, arms crossed against her chest, waiting for Daniel to  _ finally _ leave the place and go to his sport session. As soon as he was out of sight, North stomped heavily to the blond and gripped his arm. She didn’t let him say a word and dragged him out of the hallway to a more private place. Once she was sure nobody would interrupt them, she slammed a hand on the wall next to Simon’s head, making him jump, and gave him a devilish smile.

 

“Hey there angel~” she snickered, watching Simon pale before her. “Did you miss me ?”

“H- Hello North…” Simon stuttered, eyes avoidant. His head was gradually sinking into his shoulders.

“Know why I’m here right ?”

 

Simon nodded mutely and reached into his pocket with a shaky hand to take a few dollars out of it. He showed them to North, who nodded happily.

 

“Good boy,” she snatched the money from Simon’s hands, but still leaned more over the blond guy. “Sure you don’t have more ?”

“I- I don’t. Sorry…”

 

North frowned heavily and clutched the boy’s collar to haul him over.

 

“Don’t fucking lie to me pretty boy !” she hissed between grit teeth. Simon was staring wildly at her, his own teeth were clicking against each other. North was almost proud of the effect she had on him. “I really don’t want to use my fists on you today.”

 

Simon searched agitatedly through his pockets for a single little coin left somewhere. He looked more and more pale as he couldn’t find a single thing, and was looking up from time to time at North pleadingly.

 

“I don’t have anything more, please !”

 

North was about to spit at him for his incompetence, but they got interrupted when the door of the empty classroom opened to let place to a teenager whose eyes were of two different colors.

_ Oh fuck, not him ! _

The teenager leveled his strange eyes from the papers in his hands to look at them upon understanding he wasn’t alone here. Both North and Simon were looking back at him. Simon still looked pretty scared, North was totally glowering at the newcomer. Considering hers and Simon’s position, and the boy’s expression, it made no doubt she was harassing him. She didn’t need  _ that guy _ to witness that.

Markus was  _ the idol _ of the high school. (Adopted) Son of the famous painter Carl Manfred, he was totally loaded. He was physically perfect, so it wasn’t rare to see a crowd of fans behind him, trying to attract his attention. Not only that, but he was a really clever guy. Grade A student, often assisting the teachers when they didn’t have time to give special lessons to the kids asking for a little help. But of course, it wasn’t all. Markus was the leader of a few associations, in school and outside, in favor of disadvantaged, minorities and other people in need.

Markus was  _ fucking _ perfect.

And now here he was, witnessing North bully Simon.  _ Great. _

 

“Am I… interrupting something ?” he asked, taking sight a the very frightened Simon who didn’t dare to ask for help.

“Yes, you are !” North spitted venom, glaring at him, hoping it would be enough to send him away. But it wasn’t. Markus blinked at her, totally unphased.

“I don’t know what you are currently doing, but please, leave that boy alone.”

“How about you fucking mind your own business ?!” North growled. It didn’t make Markus step back like it was all the others. At worst, it was making him frown.

“I’m afraid I can’t turn away from that. Please, leave that boy alone,” Markus repeated. “Don’t make me seek for a teacher.”

 

North couldn’t look more angered than she was now. She glared at Simon, who was looking like he wanted to disappear in the wall behind him. North slammed her hand again next to his head, to externalize her ire and for the satisfaction of seeing the blond boy flinch. Then she made her way angrily to the door and pushed Markus out of the way.

At least she had money to eat.

  
  
  


“Are you alright ?”

 

Markus looked at the blond boy with a concerned expression. The other was still shaking slightly, but some colors were starting to make their way back on his cheeks. 

 

“Yeah, thank you…”

 

The blond wasn’t looking at him. He looked a bit sheepish about being caught in this kind of situation, a finger scratching lightly at his cheek. Markus made his way to him, staying at a respectable distance as to not scare him, and tilted his head to the side.

 

“She didn’t hurt you right ?”

“No…”

“Did she do anything else ?”

 

The blond shook his head. Markus couldn’t know if he was saying the truth or was protecting the girl because he was scared she would get revenge later, would he tell him what had happened. Markus wouldn’t push it any further, he didn’t want to make the boy feel worse than he was. Instead, he leveled a hand in front of him.

 

“I’m Markus,” he smiled kindly, trying to charm the boy. He only just wanted to be sure the boy would get better before going out of the room.

“Yeah, I know,” the blond whispered. He cleared his throat and took Markus’ hand tentatively in his. “I’m Simon. Urm… Thanks for your help.”

“Nice to meet you Simon,” Markus continued to smile. He finally managed to get a shy smile from the other boy in return. “If you get into those kind of situation again, don’t be afraid to tell me. I will try to help.”

 

That made Simon blush in a cute way. He thanked him again, before getting his hand back and brushing his palm with his other hand. They were awkwardly silent for a bit after that. Markus didn’t really know what to say to him now, so he just decided to make small talk, since the blond didn’t look like he was about to leave the room.

 

“You have something to do now, or…?” He trailed off. Simon blushed again.

“No.”

“You already ate ?”

“No…”

“Want to grab some lunch with me ?”

 

Markus didn’t think Simon could blush any harder, but he did. He looked a bit like some of his shyest fans. It made Markus blink. Oh. Maybe he was. Or maybe he was just embarrassed, considering what he said after that.

 

“I don’t have any money…”

 

So the boy usually didn’t eat at the self, instead going out to grab lunch. Then, it was weird for him not to bring money. Did that girl from earlier just stole his money ?

 

“No problem, I can pay you a lunch.”

“Wha- ?! No ! No I don’t- I’m fine, really, you don’t have to do that !” Simon stammered, suddenly bewildered and even more embarrassed. 

 

Markus placed a calm hand on his shoulder and squeezed, showing his signature smile that made everybody do whatever he wanted. Markus didn’t use it much, but right now he felt like it could help the boy calm down a bit. Or turn into one of his shy fans. One or the other.

 

“It’s fine, I don’t mind. It’s on me.”

 

Simon shut his mouth. He looked like he was thinking about the possibilities offered to him, before finally nodding.

 

“Thanks.”

 

Markus smiled at him again.

Simon was a really cute guy. Markus talked a lot more than him, often asking questions to try and make the blond relax a bit in his presence. It took about half the lunch break to make him finally answer with more than yes or no. Markus learned he was a year younger than him, and that he had a part-time job as a babysitter. Markus admitted he wasn’t that good with children, but better with old people. That made them talk about their different experiences at taking care of people.

Simon was sweet and kind. Markus could totally imagine him with children and babies. Simon looked like he enjoyed his job, and really liked children. It was the subject that finally unsealed his lips. The blond loved to talk about the kids he was taking care of, their quirks, their stories, their imagination. His expression was getting more and more easy to read. He had a pretty smile, and a gentle look in his eyes.

Markus wouldn’t be surprised to hear now that Simon was an angel coming straight from heaven.

In exchange, Markus told him about one of the association he was member of that helped old people in their everyday life and helped them escape loneliness. Markus has spent some days with the people in there. He liked old people. They always had a lot of stories to tell, a lot of opinions on everything, and they only wanted someone to be there with them to talk about all of it. Markus enjoyed it, the same way Simon seemed to enjoy his evenings doing babysitting.

They needed to go back to school now. Markus was a little sad about having to interrupt their talk. Simon was good company, an interesting story-teller and a very sweet person.

 

“I really enjoyed our lunch,” he said truthfully on their way back to school. “If you’d like it, we could repeat that someday ?”

Simon blinked at him, slightly incredulous. “Really ?”

“Yeah. Are you free tomorrow ?”

 

Simon was quick to nod. He had a light blush still coloring his cheeks. It made Markus smile.

 

“Then I’ll wait for you in front of the school at lunch time. Have a nice day Simon.”

“Thank you Markus.”

  
  
  


Simon couldn’t believe this. He just had a date with the famous Markus ! No, not a date. It was just a simple lunch, and Markus had paid for it because Simon had had his money stolen by that red haired girl again.

Markus wanted to see him again !! He hadn’t bored the other teenager to death, despite his long silences because he was too shy to answer and his endless rambling about children even though Markus had said he wasn’t that fond of them. Markus had planned their next meeting for the day after ! Markus had invited him again to have lunch with him !

He was going to see Markus again !!

 

“Goddamn Simon, if you don’t stop I’ll slap you,” Daniel groaned next to him. Despite Simon not gushing about it out loud, his brother could read him like an open book, and he was obviously irritated by Simon’s antics. “I already have to slap that bitch for stealing your money  _ again _ ,” he hissed through gritted teeth. Simon’s shoulders tensed.

“I’m sorry…”

“Why don’t you fight back when she does that ? I mean, you’re a shrimp but a good kick between the legs is enough, even for girls you know ! Especially since this one is a filthy slut ! She won’t get any cock after that.”

 

Simon felt bad. He didn’t want to hurt her. She maybe needed that money ? She used questionable methods to gain it, but maybe she needed more than him ? Beside, the state of her neck was worrying. Simon couldn’t help but feel bad about all of this each time North would try to get his money.

Also, he was sure North could easily step away from one of his attempts to fight back and would knock him down with a well-placed punch on the nose. The girl was used to fight. She could fight against Daniel as equal, so Simon couldn’t imagine himself trying to hurt her.

Daniel ruffled his hair a little too sharply, making Simon whine.

 

“And when are you fucking telling the teachers uh ?! Or even fucking calling me to slap the bitch immediately ?!”

“I’m fine Daniel.”

“You’re working for that money ! She isn’t ! If she want some, she can just make her fucking lovers pay for it !!”

 

Simon stared at Daniel with a disgusted expression. He didn’t have anything against sex workers  _ if they were willing to do it _ . If it was only because they had no other way to have money and survive, it was not good at all. It was making Simon’s inside twist painfully.

 

“Please, don’t say that.”

“Umpf ! I really don’t understand why you are protecting that whore.”

“ _ Daniel _ …”

“Alright, alright ! If you like being bullied that much !!”

 

Daniel threw his hands in the air and walked faster, obviously irritated by Simon. Simon didn’t say anything more, walking a lot slower behind Daniel.

Of course he didn’t like being bullied like that. Of course he’d prefer by far if the red haired girl came to him and asked him for money, instead of just roughing him up like that and extorting him. Simon would have tried to help her. He just couldn’t say no when someone asked for his help.

But instead, the girl threatened to punch him each time, and smirked deviously at him like she liked seeing him terrified by her. The girl seemed to enjoy roughing him up. Simon couldn’t know if she genuinely needed money or if it was just fun for her to bully him. Maybe both ? Simon couldn’t tell.

He couldn’t help but hope she wasn’t as bad as she made herself look like.


	2. Chapter 2

“Simon !”

 

Simon looked up from his phone and watched as a tall lanky teenager made his way toward him at the school entrance. A smile appeared on the blond’s face.

 

“Hello Josh.”

“Hey there blondie,” Josh smiled back, ruffling Simon’s hair in a greeting gesture. Josh was Markus’ best friend and shadow. It wasn’t rare to see the two of them together. Josh was a good planner and organizer, he was often helping Markus who always had too much to do in a single day. Right now, Markus wasn’t there, probably already inside the school for his morning shift with the teachers. “Are you eating with us today too ?”

Simon nodded. “Yes, I heard we were going to the chinese self-serve buffet. I like that place too much to miss the occasion.”

“That’s just an excuse for you to eat too much without paying more,” Josh snorted. “You glutton.”

 

Simon laughed. Yeah, he had a habit of eating a lot too much, be he wasn’t gaining any weight so he could do it for the moment. He dived a hand in his pocket and counted the money in there.

 

“That was twelve dollars right ?” he asked, just to be sure. He didn’t want to make Markus pay for him after the first time. Josh nodded. “Good.”

 

They waited for the beginning of the classes together. Simon and Josh had became great friends as soon as Markus had introduced them during one of their lunches. Since then, it wasn’t rare for Josh to stay with Simon when Markus was off somewhere playing super heroes. Josh was good company, he was calm, had an opinion on almost everything, and even though Simon didn’t always agree with him, it was nice to have little debates with him to share their point of view.

Simon enjoyed the time spend with both Markus and Josh. When Markus had said his best friend would join them for lunch the first time, Simon had sulk a bit because he wanted to have Markus for himself. It turned out he didn’t mind Josh’s presence at all. He still had a heavy crush on Markus, but Josh was like a secured anchor next to them. It felt nice. Simon liked their little group.

Josh waved at him when it was time for them to part for classes.

Simon was excitedly making his way to the front of the school, where Josh and Markus were already waiting for him. He needed to tell Markus about last evening, when he had taken care of both a little two-years old girl, and a nice grandpa who was about 85. The grandpa had told stories that would for sure interest Markus.

It was without counting on a flash of red-hair, and before Simon could register what was happening, he wasn’t on his way to the front gate but in an empty storeroom with a literal devil looming before him.

_ Oh crap… _

 

“Hey there angel~” the girl greeted him like usual, a wicked smile on her lips. Simon couldn’t help but gulp.

“North…”

“Gimme gimme.”

 

Simon didn’t want to give her his money today. He had just enough for his lunch with Markus and Josh. If he gave her, he would have to find a reason to cancel it, or else Markus would try to pay for him and it would embarrass Simon. Especially since Josh knew he had the money. They would both know North had stolen it  _ again _ .

 

“N-No…”

 

North’s expression morphed into full surprise. Simon had only ever refused the first time she came to him, and it had resulted with a black eye and more than just money stolen. Simon shuddered at the memory.

 

“Sorry ? I must have heard bad,” she growled, finally back to her threatening expression.

 

Her neck was redder than ever, scratch marks decorating her skin along with the bites and the hickeys. She also missed a lock of hair at the back of her head. It made Simon want to give her the money.

Should he be selfish or selfless ?

North quickly grew impatient and d slammed her fist next to Simon’s ear.

 

“Last chance boy, before you start weeping on the floor !”

  
  
  


Markus was pacing in front of the school gate. Simon was usually a lot faster than that to rejoin them after classes. Granted, the blond could have stayed a bit to ask the profs something, or made a detour to the restroom, or even just decided to chat a bit with his twin before coming here. But Markus couldn’t help but pacing.

 

“Chill Markus. The boy was excited to come, he will arrive soon,” Josh tried to calm him down. It made Markus burst a sigh.

“Yeah, I know.”

“Besides, he got our phone if he takes too long.”

 

Josh didn’t know about Simon’s bully. Not that Markus knew a lot, he just happened to interrupt them that first time, and even if it hadn’t been spoken of afterwards, Markus wasn’t blind. If that girl tried to pick up on him again…

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he fetched it at lightspeed, which made Josh’s eyes roll.

 

“Simon ?”

“ _ Hey. Um, I have an assignment I forgot about due to this afternoon. I’m going to skip lunch to do it ok ? I’m sorry. _ ”

 

Markus stayed silent for a moment.

 

“Want us to help you with it ?” He said eventually. He heard a sharp breath at the other side of the phone.

“ _ No no ! No need really ! I’ll be fine. _ ”

“What’s the assignment about ?”

 

At that point, Josh leveled a brow and stared at him, asking him silently what it was about. Markus waved a hand.

Simon took his time to answer. Obviously, it was a lie and he had no assignment. He couldn’t even think of a random assignment title to make his excuse viable. Markus sighed.

 

“Simon, what happened ?”

“ _ It- It’s nothing, really… _ ”

“Simon…”

 

Simon seemed to shift uncomfortably on the other side on the line. Markus sighed again.

 

“Hey, it’s good, you can tell me you know,” he tried with a soothing voice. Simon was still so hard to make talk.

“ _ I… I am at the infirmary… _ ”

 

Markus blinked. His expression must have morphed into a mix of surprise and concern, because Josh picked up on it and immediately looked concerned too.

 

“What’s happening ?” Josh whispered as he approached Markus to hear a bit over the phone.

“Why are you there ?” Markus asked Simon instead of answering his best friend.

“ _ Urm… I… I refused to… to give North -you know the girl from last time- my money and she… Ugh, she kinda punched me before taking it anyway… _ ”

 

Simon sounded totally uncomfortable, and the shifting was back at full force. Josh seemed to register the information next to him, and he suddenly growled, which made Markus stare at him then.

 

“Seriously, that girl…” he grunted.

“You know her ?”

 

Josh looked at him like he was stupid. Markus couldn’t help but glare back at him.

 

“She’s about as known as you in school you know ? The punk girl who keeps fighting everybody, even the teachers, and obviously sleeps with half the town ? Not ringing a bell ?”

 

Oh yeah, Markus must have heard a bit about her from the teachers. Apparently she had been suspended once because she had punched a teacher. Markus turned his attention back to the phone.

 

“Are you hurt ?”

“ _ Not much. My nose- My nose just doesn’t stop bleeding. Um… _ ”

“Yes ?”

“ _ My brother, he kinda knows about it too and- I think he’s gone to kill North. Can you- Uh no, that’s nothing. I don’t want to bother you… _ ”

“You want us to stop them from killing each other ?”

“ _ No ! I mean… yeah… Sorry… _ ”

 

Josh refrained a heavy sigh when Markus accepted the request. His best friend hated fights, it was common knowledge. He never wanted to get involved in one. Markus didn’t leave him much choice though. He dragged him back inside the school.

  
  
  


“Hey bitch !”

 

North barely had time to turn around that a fist collided with her jaw and made her stumble backward. She caught herself up on the nearest wall and glared at the blond before her, who quickly gripped the front of her shirt and hauled her toward him.

 

“First you gonna give me back what you stole,” Daniel growled in front of her. North gave him a condescendant smile.

“Or what ? You’re gonna be your brother’s guard dog again ?”

 

The punch was to be expected. North could feel her nose start to bleed and leveled a hand to stop the flow. Alright, here they were gone.

North kicked the blond in the knee, not hard enough to break it, but hard enough to send his leg fly backwards and make him lose his balance. She grabbed his collar in turn, Daniel still not having let go of hers, and made him fall at her side, lowering herself in the process because that dick  _ really _ didn’t want to let her go. He released a  _ Umpf _ when his back collided with the ground. North used his dizziness to give him a well-placed punch in the nose, just like she had done to his brother. Now the three of them had bleeding noses.

Daniel kicked her in the stomach and reversed their position so he was above her, and punched her once more in the jaw, before North returned him the favor and kicked him in the balls.

They turned like that for a while, throwing punches and kicks were they knew it would hurt the most. A crowd had started to form around them, not that either of them cared about it, but nobody tried to stop them.

Until two black teenagers managed to get past the crowd. The taller one hauled North back up, two arms locking her shoulders and head and dragging her backward as she was kicking and screaming. The second one blocked Daniel who was getting back on his feet to launch at her.

_ Of fucking course it had to be Markus ! _

 

“Hey, calm down,” Markus was struggling to keep Daniel from lurching on North, each time stepping in front of the boy to arrest his course.

“Go the fuck away Markus ! That fucking bitch needs to have a correction !!”

“Coz you think you can win you retard ?!!” North yelled back at Daniel, who tried to get to her once again, only to be stopped by Markus.

“Both of you, calm down !” Josh snarled behind the girl, who kicked his tibia.

“Fuck off !!” North cried again. “Fuck you Markus !! Fuck you Daniel !! Fuck all of you !!!”

 

She thrashed more wildly against Josh’s grip. He was starting to lose it.

 

“You’re the one who’ll get fucked, whore !!”

“Bring it motherfucker !!”

“Alright, both of you shut the fuck up !!!” Markus roared, making the whole assembly silent in the process. He pointed an accusing finger at Daniel, “You, you go back to your brother now !” Then he pointed the same finger at North. “And you, you’re coming with me to the headmaster !”

 

_ No fucking way !! _

North finally managed to escape Josh’s grip when a kick at the ankle made him howl out and release her faintly. She pushed past the boy and ran toward the crowd, who immediately stepped out of her way, scared by her murderous expression.

She made her way quickly to the front gate of the school and disappeared in town. She just wanted to eat, damnit ! Not her fault that idiot angel boy suddenly decided to act tough in front of her ! She had barely punched him in the nose and it had started dripping. That boy was just fucking weak !

And that fucking twin who  _ always _ insulted her like Karma had been right to make her sleep with strangers to earn some money ! That fucking twin was the worst !! 

North wiped her tears away when she finally came to a stop in an empty alleyway. She wiped her dribbling nose, her bleeding lip, her bleeding forehead. She probably looked like a mess. She’ll probably have a black eye later. She’ll have less client. She’ll be starving again !

North couldn’t suppress the sob that escaped her lips. She rummaged through the pocket of her jacket and got twelve dollars out of it. She could buy some pastas with that. It could last her half a week. She could totally live of pastas, it wasn’t disgusting at all.

She crumpled the dollars in her hand and made her way to her flat. She wouldn’t come back to school this afternoon anyway. The next day she would probably have a convocation to the headmaster, and maybe even an expulsion.

_ Great ! Fucking great ! _ All because of that Daniel guy and that fucking Markus !

 


	3. Chapter 3

“Hm, guys ?”

 

Markus and Josh both turned to Simon, who had emptied his third plate. It’s been a few days since they only ate at self-serve buffets, since Simon was a literal hole with legs. The blond looked a bit embarrassed.

 

“Don’t tell me you’re still hungry,” Josh huffed, half way between exasperation and amusement.

“Uh, yes, but that’s not what I wanted to talk about…”

 

Simon stole a shrimp from Josh’s plate, under the interested look of the two older teenagers.

 

“I was thinking about inviting North to eat with me tomorrow.”

Josh blinked. “The girl who almost broke your nose ?”

 

Simon nodded sheepishly and tried to steal another shrimp, only to have his hand swatted away by Josh’s.

 

“Are you sure ?” Markus finally asked. He was a bit concerned about Simon’s idea. No doubt the girl will try to punch him as soon as he would suggest to invite her over. He already got that Simon was selfless and very forgiving, Markus was like that too, but maybe it was a bit exaggerated right now ?

Simon nodded again. “Yes. I’d rather treat her for lunch than be threatened by another punch again… I mean, maybe she  _ really _ need that money to eat and she don’t know another way to have it ?”

“Simon, that’s very cute of you,” Josh huffed, head shaking from right to left, “but that girl just enjoys bullying people. Not everybody has a reason to be a dick.”

“But what if she has one ?”

 

Markus and Josh both looked at each other. The younger was obviously pretty serious about inviting the girl over. Simon stole another shrimp from Josh who grunted, and Markus was the one to talk again.

 

“You want us to stay with you then ?”

 

Simon shook his head.

 

“No. I don’t think she really likes you…”

 

It happened, from time to time, their little group would cross her path in the hallways. If Josh never really paid attention, Markus could see Simon look at her like he was thinking about something. The girl would look their way too, and while only giving a little warning look to the blond, she would straight up leer at Markus. Markus didn’t know what he ever did to that girl for her to be that mad at him.

So yes, it was probably not a good thing for him to accompany Simon. It was probably not a good idea for Josh to accompany him either, since the taller obviously loathed North. Simon was all alone in this.

Meaning if things turned sour, he would totally end at the infirmary again with his pockets empty. Markus shook his head but gave up.

 

“Alright. I hope she won’t react too badly to your invitation then,” he sighed. “You’re going to tell us how it went right ?”

 

Simon smiled brightly at him.

 

“Of course Markus. Ouch-”

“Stop trying to steal my shrimps, dammit !!”

 

Simon grumbled and got up to serve himself a fourth plate full of food and extra shrimps. Josh took the occasion to nudge at Markus.

 

“You know it will go south right ?” he whispered, trying not to get Simon’s attention.

“I know…”

“You want us to spy on them or something ?”

Markus snorted but shook his head. “No, if Simon thinks he can handle it, then I will let him do what he want. I trust him.”

“That’s not him I don’t trust, that’s  _ her _ .”

“Let’s let Simon take care of it.”

 

Josh didn’t seem really happy about that decision, but he didn’t argue. He just crossed his arms on his chest and slumped against the backrest of his chair. Markus understood his reaction. He didn’t want to leave Simon alone with the girl who almost broke his nose and stole his money more than once either. But he also didn’t want Simon to think they didn’t trust him to do the right thing.

He trusted Simon. Totally. The boy was a gift to humanity, without a single ounce of malice in him. He just wanted to support people. Markus trusted his judgement.

He was just scared it would hurt the boy.

  
  
  


North wanted to go home as quickly as possible. She was tired of the teachers, she was tired of not understanding a single thing they said, she was tired of the other teenagers’ eyes on her wrists and neck, she was tired of being tired.

She was already starting to be low on pastas. It had last more than four days, but she was sick of it, and now she barely had enough for the dinner. Either she’ll have to look for a client tonight, or she would have to get to Simon again.

Except the boy was almost never alone now. Either his brother was glued to his ass and sending daggers her way, or he was with  _ fucking _ Markus and his shadow. It was starting to be difficult to approach him without attracting attention. She needed to plan something, maybe following him when he needed to go to the restroom or something like that.

She probably could decide to take another victim, but she was too tired to fight today. Simon was an easy target, and even if he refused to give her his money willingly, a single blow to the face was enough to  _ convince _ him otherwise.

She was still thinking about an eventual plan once classes were done when the object of her thoughts stepped in front of her. North blinked at him.

 

“Hm, North ?”

 

_ The fuck ? _

 

“What do you want pretty boy ?” she snarled.

Simon looked down, then back at her again. “I was thinking… Uh… Would you like to… Uh, have lunch with me ? Tomorrow ?”

 

North was gaping at him now. Did this guy just  _ asked her out _ ? Really ? After all she did to him ? After having given him a bloody nose only four days prior ? What the hell was he thinking about ?

 

“Are you maso or something ?” she asked, half condescending, half bewildered.

“No… Not really… I just… thought I could pay you a meal or something.”

 

North could feel the anger take place on her face. Simon could see it too, if the way he paled was any indication. 

That guy was  _ pitying  _ her ?! That guy understood she was stealing him because she needed the money to eat right ? And now, instead of just waving her away like everybody, instead of telling her she just needed to make her lovers pay her for the treats, he was  _ pitying _ her and buying her a meal willingly ?!

 

North snapped. “I don’t need your fucking help !! I don’t need for you to fucking pay my lunches you sub !!!”

 

Simon’s head dove between his shoulders instinctively. North pushed a finger to his chest forcefully.

 

“Go find your stupid crush and invite him over instead of fucking with me !! I don’t want you to fucking pity me !!!”

 

She probably shouldn’t have yelled. It had attracted people’s attention again, and it was only a matter of time before either the blond’s twin or his goddamn boyfriends would stumble here.

Beside, what she said was kinda giving her situation away. She didn’t want anybody to know about it.

 

“S-Sorry, I- I didn’t- I didn’t want to make you feel like- like I was pitying you or anything…”

“BULLSHIT !!!”

“N-No ! It’s the truth ! I just- I just thought I could g-get to know you or-”

“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HERE BEFORE I FUCKING DECK YOU !!!”

 

Simon trembled wildly at that point. He nodded, murmuring a quiet “ _ Sorry _ ”, and finally left, head hidden between his shoulders and tail between his legs. North sneered at him before making her way out of the school.

She couldn’t believe what just happened. As if she needed his help or something !! As if she needed his pity !! North could very well care about herself thank you, she didn’t need a fucking sub to pay for her lunches !!

Except that now she didn’t have any money and the only thing she had left was a pot bottom of overcooked pastas…

  
  
  


Simon had refused to tell Daniel anything about the commotion from earlier. His brother was mad. He had heard Simon had willingly tried to talk to North, as if it could have resulted with anything else but yells and punches. There hadn’t been any punch thrown.

But North had reacted badly to his offer. Of course she would have thought he was pitying her, he was so stupid he didn’t think about that kind of reaction from her. He had expected sneers, he had expected to be treated of masochism, he had expected her to flip him off. It just didn’t cross his mind she could think he did that by pity.

Simon had said the truth earlier. He really wanted to get to know the girl, and understand why she was acting the way she did. He wanted to know if she was indeed a bully or if she just did what she did because she had no other choice.

Considering her choice of words earlier, it looked like it was the latter. Considering she thought he was pitying her, it was probably the latter.

Then how bad was North’s situation to have her steal money from him every week ? Especially since he didn’t have much. There were people a lot richer than him at school, so why was she targeting him ? Simon huffed. Because he was an easy target. Of course. Simon wasn’t fighting back. He was too  _ soft _ to fight back. He was an easy target for the girl.

Simon face-timed Markus and Josh once he was secured in his bedroom. He had promised to tell them how it went. Markus picked up first.

 

“ _ Hey there ! _ ” Markus’ smile was bright. It made Simon’s heart do a little jump in his ribcage.

“Hey,” he answered softly.

“ _ You good ? You look a bit down. _ ”

 

A sigh escaped Simon’s lips. It was when Josh answered the call.

 

“ _ Wow, heavy sigh _ ,” he said immediately. “ _ Stuff didn’t go as planned right ? _ ”

“Not really…”

“ _ What happened ? _ ” Markus asked then.

Simon bit his lip before answering. “She threatened to  _ deck _ me…”

 

Josh rolled his eyes, not at all surprised to hear that. Markus pinched his lips.

 

“I mean, she thought I was pitying her you know ? And that made her really angry. Before I suggested to pay for it, she just seemed… dumbfounded.”

“ _ Strong woman don’t need no man to pay for her lunch, _ ” Josh sneered, half mocking, half exasperated.

“ _ Is she in a bad situation ? _ ” Markus interrupted Josh. “ _ If she thought that, then it’s because she is, right ? _ ”

Simon shrugged. “I have no idea. I think yes.”

“ _ It’s not like she would tell you if she was, _ ” Josh said. And it was true. North didn’t seem to be the kind to complain to anybody about being in a bad situation.

“ _ If we try to help, she will probably take it bad… _ ” Markus thought aloud.

It made Josh snort and watch at the screen dumbfounded. “ _ You can’t really think about helping that demon ! _ ”

“ _ Why not ? If she needs help then I’ll be more than glad to help her, _ ” Markus answered truthfully.

“ _ Dude, she definitely  _ don’t _ want  _ your _ help. _ ”

“ _ Not wanting doesn’t mean not needing. _ ”

“ _Markus, you can’t help someone who doesn’t_ _want_ _to be helped !_ ”

“ _ What if she’s scared of asking for help ? _ ”

“ _ What if she doesn’t  _ want _ your help ? _ ”

 

Both of them huffed at each other. Simon could only watch back and forth between them. He understood the arguments of both parts, so it became hard to decide whether to help the girl or not. Markus suddenly snapped his attention back at Simon.

 

“ _ What do you think ? _ ”

 

Simon blinked. Was Markus asking for his opinion ?

 

“Uh… Well, Josh has a point, if she doesn’t want then we can’t help.”

 

Markus listened attentively to Simon, ignoring the little approving nod Josh was doing.

 

“But maybe she  _ does _ need some help, even if she refuses to admit it ? I really don’t know. Whatever you decide to do, I will follow you Markus.”

 

That made both Josh and Markus stare at him. Simon could feel the beginning of a blush creep his way to his cheeks. He shouldn’t have said it like that…

 

Markus gave him the sweetest smile ever, and it made Simon’s heart panic in his chest. “ _ Thank you Simon. _ ”

 

Josh sighed, knowing he had lost the debate and would have to follow Markus’ lead too. They were on to help North, even if they had no idea what her problem was.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we go with Markus and Simon having their superhero complex !


	4. Chapter 4

 

North was crouched down on her desk. Those cramps were the worst ! It was bad enough to make her eyes water. She was rubbing her thighs against the other, arms clasped around her abdomen and squeezing from time to time.

Of course it had to happen now. Now that she didn’t even have pastas left, and about as much money. But it was the period during which she  _ needed _ to eat. Else she was feeling very bad and very weak. But she couldn’t look for clients now. There were some dirty ones who were always willing to do it despite everything, but North couldn’t bear with that in her state. 

She couldn’t go to Simon either. After what had happened the day before… No, the boy would pity her again, especially since her state was pretty obvious, and he wouldn’t even wait for her to threaten him before willingly giving her his money. She didn’t want his pity ! She was big enough to take care of herself ! She could get away from this situation alone, like she had done every other time. She didn’t need him !

God, she would kill for a painkiller right now.

When she lifted her head up a few minutes after the sound of the bell announced the end of classes for the morning, she found a box of painkillers on her desk.  _ The fuck ? _ She looked wildly around her. There wasn’t much people left in the classroom. Someone must have deposed it on their way out.

But who ? Everybody hated her here ! Everybody thought she was a filthy bitch doubled with an angry punk. Nobody ever wanted to talk to her, or help her whatsoever.  _ Not that she needed anybody’s help. _

She grabbed the box and turned it over. There was no note on it. She just decided to open it and take two pills that she gulped dry. At that point, it could be painkillers or drugs that North wouldn’t give a single fuck.

Alright, now next problem : lunch. What was she supposed to do about that ? Skip it ? Try to get some money from Simon despite everything ? And even if she skipped that lunch, she would still need to find a way to eat that evening.

North grunted upon understanding she didn’t really have any choice. She got up from her seat, clenching at her stomach some more, and made her way out of the classroom. She was starting to hope the boy wasn’t already out for lunch with his boyfriends. After lunch, it was almost impossible to find the blond alone. At midday he was with Markus and Josh. After class he was with  _ fucking _ Daniel.

North had to run to the restroom before trying to find him though.

She could only thank Karma for once, because when she stepped out of it, Simon was stepping out of the boys’ ones just in front of her. The blond saw her immediately, and avoided her eyes. He tried to get away, but North still caught him and dragged him, as usual, in an empty space.

 

“Alright, hurry up !! I don’t have all day !” she bit him.

 

Simon still had that fearful glint in his eyes. But instead of giving her the money immediately, he shifted from foot to foot and pinched his lips.

 

“Erm, don’t you… Wouldn’t you rather let me pay for your lunch ?”

 

North hit him in the jaw for that. She tackled him against the wall before he could react again and spited right on his face.

 

“No.  _ Fucking _ . Way ! Give me your fucking money !!”

“But-”

“NOW !!!”

 

Simon’s lips disappeared in a thin line. He looked pretty conflicted.

 

“L-Look, if you need any help with-”

“I don’t need your fucking help !!”

“But if-”

“I said no !! Just do what I say dammit !!”

“P-Please let me speak-”

 

North threw another punch, just because she could. She didn’t want to hear whatever he wanted to say. 

 

“Listen to me now !” North growled a few inches away from Simon’s face. “I don’t want your goddamn pity or your goddamn help ! Ok ?! The only thing I need right now is for you to give me you goddamn money and leave me the fuck alone !!”

“But you-”

“LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE !!”

 

She wasn’t crying. It was false. It was just because her insides were churning. It was only because of the cramps and the hunger that didn’t help it at all.

Simon finally took some dollars from his pocket and gave them to her with a shy smile.

 

“You don’t have to deal with your problems all alone you know ?”

  
  
  


Simon had a black eye, a bruise on his jaw and a cut lip. North had been pretty violent earlier. Simon had just had time to run to the infirmary before going for the school entrance where Josh and Markus have been waiting for twenty good minutes. Simon has managed to warn them he would be a bit late.

Of course they made a face at seeing his state.

 

“God ! What happened to you ?!” Markus had immediately cupped his unhurt cheek to look at his face. And Simon wasn’t blushing  _ at all _ .

“Erm, I have no money anymore…” he answered truthfully, for once.

Josh groaned. “North ?”

 

Simon nodded and brushed his bruised cheek with a careful hand.

 

“She was crying...”

 

Markus’ face was still concerned, but not only for Simon. Now that they had agreed to try and help North, Markus was starting to actually care for the girl. Josh, on the side, was still pretty constipated about having to help her, but looked actually surprised to know North could cry.

 

“She was feeling bad all morning so I dropped some painkillers on her desk before,” Simon said with a shrug. “And, uh, I tried to make her understand I wanted to help her, and she screamed angrily, but at one point she started to cry. At the end I told her she didn’t have to stay alone and she punched my eye before running away because she was starting to cry more again.”

 

Markus’ look softened during the tell-tale. Josh seemed really incredulous.

 

“So, yeah, I don’t have money anymore for lunch, sorry,” Simon laughed embarrassingly.

“It’s alright, I’ll pay for today,” Markus told him with a smile.

 

Simon could try to reject the offer, like usual, but Markus always won their little arguments and ended up paying for Simon. So Simon accepted shyly, feeling an umpteenth blush growing on his cheeks.

 

“I WILL KILL HER !!”

“Daniel please…”

“No ! Simon ! For once, listen to me !! She totally fucked up your face, you wince each time you are trying to smile ! You  _ always _ smile !!!”

 

Simon lowered his eyes and puckered his lips. Of course Daniel would throw a tantrum upon seeing his brother’s face’s state. Now he would have to convince him not to hurt North in return, like he was used to.

 

“Dannie, I’m fine, really.”

“Why do you always protect her ?! I don’t understand !!” Daniel raged, arms up in the air and pacing in front of Simon’s bed.

“I have my reasons…”

“ _ You have your reasons _ ,” his twin parroted with a weird voice. “You are  _ too _ soft Simon ! I get that you want to help people, I get that you like everybody, really ! But not the people who hurt you !!”

“Why not ?”

“They don’t deserve the attention you give them !! You don’t have to care for the people who hurt you !!!”

“But I want to…”

“WHY ?!!”

 

Simon didn’t answer. He didn’t know. He just wanted to. He knew some people were mean just to be mean, but he was sure North wasn’t like that. At least not entirely. Sure, she had a lot of flaws, and her methods are really questionable, but Simon just saw a tiny part of her soft side earlier. Granted, it was probably only because of her physical state of the day, but there was something here.

Simon was just fine about giving her his money. He didn’t need it that much anyway. It were mostly saving for gifts and books. Simon could live without it. But he didn’t know if North could.

  
  
  


Markus didn’t expect to find North here that evening, but here she was, filling her basket with pastas and first-price soups. Markus was shopping for an old woman he was currently taking care of. He was almost finished here, but a bright red flash attracted his attention before he could pay. The girl had stormed in the shop with a basket, had rushed to drop five boxes of pasta in it and two soups, and had stomped to go pay.

Except that she had taken a box of pasta too much and she didn’t have enough. She was growling at the cash register, but she just asked the cashier to leave it here.

 

“Wait, make it pass, I’m paying for it,” Markus interrupted them as he stepped behind North in the queue.

 

North shot him a surprised glance, before seeing who it was that was helping her. She leered suddenly and took the pastas herself to discard it.

 

“I don’t need your help ! I’m not taking it !”

Markus shrugged. “Alright, then I am and I’ll keep it until you want to retrieve it.”

“I don’t want that goddamn thing !!” she screamed petulantly.

 

Markus shrugged again and placed the pastas in his own basket. North was glaring at him more ferociously now. She slapped the crumbled dollars on the register and stomped off of the shop. Markus sighed and apologized to the cashier on the behalf of the girl.

Markus kept the pastas in his locker after that. He would try and sneak them in the girl’s locker later. North would probably slap the box at his face once she will open it, but it would be worth trying.

Simon and him had prepared several little things to help North here and there. It had started with Simon sneaking that box of painkillers and they had continued like that. Markus would try to get her out of troubles with the teachers and the headmaster, or giving Simon extra-money sometimes when they thought North would come and steal it from him. Simon was giving his money willingly now, though he played scared puppies in front of North. It made her believe he wasn’t really giving her because he wanted to. Sometimes, after that one class they shared, Simon would drop something on her desk when she wasn’t looking.

North picked up that something was weird, of course, but she didn’t say anything about it. Well, she did yell at Markus once because he had obviously protected her before the headmaster, and it had ended up with her being suspended for a week. She also roughed Simon a little less, even if she kept her tough act when she went to harass him.

Josh eventually helped them. He wasn’t as exalted as them about it, but he did it anyway. A little thing here and there, nothing much. But he was doing it anyway to support them.

It was only a month after that it started to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Other attempts, other fails  
> I just saw Markus' part was really really short... Oops


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for underage prostitution and dubious consent/rape (though it's not too explicit (i think))

It hurts. Its hurts. It hurts it hurts  _ it hurts _ !!

North hated it ! She despised it ! She loathed it ! It’s the worst, it’s disgusting, it’s uncomfortable ! She couldn’t stop shaking. She’s cold, she’s angry, she’s terrified, she’s hurt. Her hands were freezing on the wall, she rejected puffs of condensation from her mouth and her ass was cold. She hated late autumn. She hated winter. She hated the people who didn’t have the slightest decency of booking a room or doing it in the car ! 

She hated having to clench her teeth to suppress the sobs, she hated having to squeeze her eyes because angry tears wanted to escape. She wanted to just kick that man in the face, steal his money and go away. She just wanted to explode his balls and plunge his dick up his ass. 

That bastard was hurting her. He was treating her like she was just a very realistic sex doll he could discard as soon as he will be finished. There were worse clients, people who used her as a punching ball too, as if stealing her dignity wasn’t enough. And there were better clients, rare, who were kind to her. That didn’t mean she hated her clients any less. That didn’t mean she hated the act any less.

She would do anything to get away from here. She just wanted to do anything else, really ! But coming to a job interview with bruised cheeks, bitten neck and a tired expression never did the job. She was never taken. At best, people didn’t tell her to get her whore ass somewhere else to get clients. 

North didn’t want new clients ! North just wanted to eat everyday and be able to pay her rent ! North just wanted to go to school like a normal fucking teenager without having to worry about being homeless at the end of the week or starving. North just wanted to feel good, to have a healthy body, a healthy alimentation, a healthy life !

But no ! Everybody refused her that ! Everybody threw her away when she tried her best to improve her life. Everybody sneered, and spitted, and looked at her with condescendance and disdain. 

Everybody…

North choked her sobs in her arms. She shouldn’t think about that now. She was weak in this periods, she couldn’t think about that or she will break. There was nobody ! At all ! Point !

But Markus and Simon…

_ No ! _

Yes.

Markus and Simon were trying to help… She wasn’t blind. She saw more than once Simon drop packs of painkillers, of healing gel, of bandages on her desk when she supposedly wasn’t looking. She saw Markus talk with the teachers before her convocations. She saw the box of pastas left in her locker and the little planning with Josh’s handwriting to help her do her homeworks because she could never finish her assignments on time. She saw the looks Markus and Simon threw her way when she passed by.

Why the fuck were they doing that ?! She loathed Markus ! It was obvious to everybody. She could never help but throw daggers in his direction and yell at him when he tried to talk to her. Markus must have understood she hated him, so why was he trying to help ? And she was bullying Simon too !! She never stopped stealing his money. Even if she knew he was giving her willingly now, but she just couldn’t make it without it so she continued anyway. She continued to punch him from time to time, just to make him understand she wasn’t accepting his pity in anyway.

Even Josh !! Josh hated her about as much as North hated Markus ! Josh was known to be a pacifist and a mediator in school. Each time people had fights with someone else, they would go to Josh for help, and the teenager would try to find a pacific solution. Josh hated people who used violence on a daily basis. And North was. So the man hated her. So why was he helping too ?! Was it because Markus had convinced him ?

North didn’t want their help ! She never wanted their help ! She could take care of herself ! She didn’t want-

She wanted some help. She wanted someone to finally treat her like a normal human being, and not that joke of a bitch she was forced to be. But she didn’t want  _ them _ !

She hated Markus ! She hated him ! She hated him !  _ She hated him !! _ That joke of an idol who used his fucking notoriety to get himself out of trouble and have everybody in his pocket ! That joke of an idol who didn’t have to do a single thing to be appreciated by everybody. Just because he was loaded. Just because he was the son of someone famous. Just because he was clever and good looking and fucking nice to everybody ! He didn’t deserve any of that !!

Acting like he cares but he  _ doesn’t  _ !! He never does ! It just does him good !

So why was he helping when he had abandoned her the first time huh ?! Why was he doing that ?! Just because Simon had asked him ? What ?! He wants to get in pretty boy’s pants and thinks helping him with North could get him to that ?!  _ He can already get in pretty boy’s pants without that ! _ Simon had a fucking crush on him, you’d have to be blind not to get it.

So why was he helping ?! 

She didn’t want his help !

A grip on her hair made her arch her back and expose her throat.

 

“Come on bitch ! Stop crying and just fucking moan !”

 

Ugh.

Honestly, that just made her cry harder. And louder.

  
  
  


“It sucked.”

“It was awesome !!”

 

Markus could only sigh. He should have known Simon and Josh would start fighting over the movie they just saw. It was an action movie, and Josh’s over pacifism was bleeding even through fictions. He didn’t like the film. On the contrary, Simon thought the characters had great reasons to fight and wouldn’t have been able to do anything if they hadn’t used their fists at some point.

They have fought over it for the whole dinner after the movies. They were now doing their way back to the train station where Markus needed to take his train to go home. The two others didn’t lIve far from school. Markus was walking a few feet in front of them, having abandoned the banter about three quarters ago.

Markus enjoyed seeing the two of them together. They brought up different side of the other, and they became good friends incredibly fast. But Markus had to admit that when, on those rare occasion, they were debating over something, it would quickly turn really irritating. They didn’t know when to stop. At all ! They could do it for hours ! Even sometimes continuing by facetime (Markus didn’t join the call during those times).

Right now, it was toeing the line of annoying. Not yet, but soon enough if he didn’t find a way to change the subject of the conversation.

It was when he heard a cry. He stopped right in his tracks by reflex and pricked up his ear. It was maybe just a cat. Simon and Josh stopped walking behind him and asked him silently what was happening, finally ending their banter. Apparently, they didn’t hear it while they were talking.

The sound was back then, more muffled, but this time the two others picked it up too. Simon was the first one to look for where it came from, always the curious one. Markus quickly joined him.

Simon froze suddenly in front of an alley, eyes wide and mouth agape. It took only a second for him to become bright red and to advert his eyes. Markus then saw what was happening, Josh right on his heels.

Bright red hair falling on naked, shivering shoulders. Heavy tears coming from red eyes and streaming on red cheeks. Rainbow colored bruises on shaking arms. Underwear lying abandoned on the ground.

There was a forty-something year old man pounding an uncovered rear, gripping a waist with one hand and a handful of bright hair with the other.

And North was crying. She looked like she wanted to die because of the embarrassment. She hadn’t even spared a glance to the three of them. Or maybe she had seen Simon but had tried to ignore the two other that came behind.

Markus could feel a wave of rage suddenly overthrow him. He walked heavily toward the man, who barely sneered at him before ignoring him, and threw his fist in his jaw. The man scrambled to the side with a cry and leveled a hand to cup his injured cheek.

 

“What the fuck ?!” he yelled at Markus.

“Get the hell away from her !”

“I paid for that shit !!!”

“GO THE FUCK AWAY !!!”

 

It was enough to make the man run away, tail between his legs.

When he turned over, North was looking at him with a hurricane of different feelings. She first looked like she wanted to deck him far away from her, like he had just made the biggest mistake he could ever do. She was looking at him with murder in her eyes and tempest on her face. But she was also scared, and embarrassed, and mournful. She looked like she wanted to disappear from the surface of Earth.

Markus approached her shivering form and crouched down in front of her, as she was now sitting naked ass on the ground. He stripped himself from his coat and draped it over North’s shoulders.

 

“I don’t want it !” she snarled and shrugged off the coat.

“Your lips are blue…” Markus only said in return.

“I didn’t need your fucking help !!”

“North…”

“Why are you even here ?!!!”

“Are you that mad I punched that man ?”

“YES !!!”

“Then why were you crying ?”

 

North took the first trash laying around and threw it at Markus’ face. “That’s not your fucking business ! Get away from me !! Don’t look at me !! Go away !!!” She continue to throw anything she could find at Markus.

At one point, Simon approached quietly too and crouched down to take a few things out of his bag and hand them to North.

 

“GO AWAY !!”

 

He didn’t really listen to her and just let some healing gel and bandages at her feet. It served as munitions for her to throw at Markus again. Markus pursed his lips to refrain a sigh and got up to step away from her.

It looked like she wasn’t going to hit Simon, who was still sitting in front of her. Markus really didn’t know why she was that mad at him, but he couldn’t really do anything about that now, considering her state. Markus just exited the alley, dragging Josh away with him.

  
  
  


Simon watched Markus and Josh disappear around the corner. He knew the two wouldn’t abandon him, it was only because Markus seemed to anger North just by his mere presence.

 

“Go away…”

 

Simon shook his head. Nope. No way he was leaving her here half freezing. He just retrieved the thrown healing stuff and put them in front of him and North. 

 

“Let me treat your wounds, ok ?”

“I don’t want you to touch me !!”

“I’m not going to… er… do whatever bad stuff- I mean…”

 

That made North snort petulantly.

 

“No shit you fag !”

 

Simon could feel himself shiver. It was fine, she was just angry because of what had just happened. She didn’t mean it.

 

“Please ?” Simon murmured, playing with a bottle of arnica in his hands.

 

After a few seconds of silence, North breathed a “ _ Ok, do whatever you want… _ ” and Simon uncapped the bottle. She obviously didn’t like to be touched, shivering each time Simon would put the tip of his fingers on her skin. The blond tried to be as soft as he could with her as to not scare her.

To be honest, he was still pretty embarrassed about the situation and what he had witnessed earlier. He never wanted to see North in that kind of position, and obviously North never wanted anyone to see her in that kind of situation either.

But now he understood one thing : North didn’t have a new lover each night. She was selling her body. And it was scaring Simon more than before. He somewhat knew her financial situation was bad for her to steal his money once or twice a week. But if she did that at the same time…

 

“You ok ?” he asked quietly.

“No.”

“You want to- to talk about… er… it ?”

“No.”

“Ok…”

 

Simon finished to put a plaster on North’s skin and sat back on his feet.

 

“Done.”

“Go away now.”

 

The blond nodded, but before getting up, he plunged his hand back in his bag and pulled a bag of chips from it to deposit before North. He jogged quickly to the alley exit before North could start yelling at him that she didn’t need his pity and rejoined Josh and Markus.

 

“Everything’s ok ?” Markus asked him once he turned around the corner.

Simon nodded. “Yeah. We can… go, if you want.”

 

Markus nodded too and started walking toward the train station. Josh was the first one to talk again after a few minutes of silence.

 

“Will she be alright ?”

 

Simon couldn’t help but remark that it was the first time Josh seemed truly concerned about the girl.

 

“I left her the bandages and a bag of chips…”

“She’s not alright,” Markus muttered under his breath.

 

No, she wasn’t. 

But how were they supposed to help her more than that when she didn’t want it ?

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay guys. I was kinda dying in my bed because of a bad cold these past days...
> 
> But whatev' !! Thanks for reading, leaving kudos and comments and bookmarking and all !! You're all lovely <3

North had never given Markus’ coat back, not that he cared. He was actually pretty content with his coat’s fate. North was wearing it from time to time at school. The girl apparently didn’t have any cloth warmer than it, so she had ended up stealing his coat. Was it really stealing if he had given her ?

It made rumors spread around the school. Because teenagers loved gossips and exaggerated news. They were now all speculating about how the  _ city whore _ had managed to get the grip on  _ their idol _ . It was making Markus laugh sarcastically. If only they knew it was the contrary. If all, it was Markus who was behind the girl. The girl pretty much rejected him and tried to murder him with her eyes at every occasion. And Markus was the one running behind her just to get her talk a bit to him.

Markus really couldn’t understand why North hated him that much. At first, he had thought she was like that with everybody, but no. She was only acting that way with him. And Daniel. Though, her relationship with Daniel was slightly different.

Either Markus had done something to her that he couldn’t recall, or he was just the archetype of guy she couldn’t deal with. Maybe even both. He couldn’t tell.

What he could tell was that it was hell to be the one monitoring detention that day, and that the only person in class was the red-haired girl.

 

“You know, instead of trying to burn me alive with your glare, you could get your assignments done,” Markus whispered after fifteen minutes. The girl had his coat on and wasn’t moving at all, only glowering at him like he was the reason she was here. Markus had tried to ignore her at first, but even him could only take that much.

“Mind your damn business.”

 

Markus sighed heavily, shoulders going up and down. 

 

“What have I ever done to you ?”

North became as red as her hair as her face twisted with wrath. “Like hell I’ll tell you !!”

“That would probably help me redeem myself, whatever wrong I did to you.”

Only more wrath. “You don’t care about redeeming yourself !”

“I won’t try to convince you otherwise. But I can make a deal with you if you want.”

 

North huffed, a clear look of disgust painted on her face.

 

“Look, you tell me what I did, and I stop. I stop covering you to the teachers, I stop hiding snacks in your locker and I stop watching over you. That’s what you want right ?”

 

It wasn’t at all the reaction he thought he would have. Instead of sneering and jumping on the opportunity to  _ finally _ be done with Markus’  _ pity _ , North looked conflicted and almost… sad ? No, that surely wasn’t it.

It ended soon enough when a leer took place on her features and she started to snarl.

 

“I was sure you were only doing that for the angel’s precious ass,” she crossed her arms on her chest.

 

Markus blinked. That definitely wasn’t the answer he expected ! Very, very far from that.

 

“What ?”

“Helping me or whatever you call it. That’s only because you want to get to the blondie’s ass right ? You never truly cared.”

 

Simon ? Well, yeah, it had started because he had wanted to back Simon’s idea, but that didn’t mean he didn’t care or that he did it only for Simon’s…  _ ass _ ? If all, he had started to care more and more as days passed, especially since their group found her selling her body in the street. Markus cared. Totally. But that wasn’t like he could convince North of that either.

 

“Simon started the movement,” he finally answered, deciding to be honest with her. “But I do care. I really want to help you.”

“Bullshit !!”

“Why is it so hard for you to accept that we do want to help and do care ?”

“I don’t care about the other two ! I know you don’t care !! I know you never cared !!!” North had started to scream. If the commotion continued it would attract teachers here.

“How would you know ?”

“Because I do !!!”

 

But how ?

  
  
  


Markus was looking at North a lot more these days. Each time the river of red hair would come into view, Markus was looking that way. It wasn’t just concern, to verify North wasn’t doing something stupid or was in a worse state as usual.

Simon knew that look, because he could see it on his own face everyday. Markus genuinely  _ cared _ about North. A lot.  _ Too much. _

Well, North was pretty, Simon couldn’t deny it. If she wasn’t covered in bruises and cuts, she would be a queen, no doubt about it. If she wasn’t the type to fight everybody and didn’t have a resting murder face, she would quickly have become one of the idol of the school, alongside Markus. So yeah, Simon could understand that, even if he wasn’t interested.

Besides, there was something kinda attractive about North rejecting them. Ok, that was weird said like that, but… It was like, having to fight to finally have something you truly desire, see ? Markus was the type to fight to have what he wanted. Simon wasn’t really. He could just understand the appeal, and North being a strong, independent woman was appealing.

And now there were those rumors too. Because North had kept Markus’ coat, and was wearing it at school. Because the school knew what sharing clothes meant. Because it was obvious Markus was trying to get into North’s good books. So now there was a rumor the two were together. Or at least spent a night together.

Simon hated it. Simon hated everything about it.

He wasn’t the type to get jealous, really. He usually enjoyed people being happy and get what they wanted, even if it meant he couldn’t be happy in turn. But that situation… He couldn’t. He hated it.

He hated the way Markus was looking at North, he hated how North hated Markus in return. He hated how he couldn’t be the one Markus was looking at. He hated himself for being selfish instead of selfless.

He did his best not to show anything. He kept smiling at Markus, he kept giving his money to North, he kept being the tiny ray of sunshine everybody thought he was. It was alright, he could bear with it. It wouldn’t be the first time he had a crush on a straight guy.

He just didn’t know why he was hating it so much right now. He didn’t want to be like that. He didn’t want to think like that. He just wanted to be happy for everybody and forget about his own unluck. That was all.

Instead he was mourning and screeching internally each time Markus would see North, each time the teenager would talk about her, each time he was hearing about that stupid rumor.

 

“Alright, the fuck’s happening now ?”

 

And of course his brother could always pick up on his mood swings, even if he did his best not to show it.

 

“Nothing’s happening. Why ?” Simon answered with a fake smile, which made Daniel look at him like he was an idiot.

“Dude, you literally look like your dog has just been smashed by a truck,” Daniel drawled.

“We don’t have a dog.”

“God, just tell me what the fuck’s happening so I can go slap the one hurting you !” he sighed exasperated. Simon pinched his lips.

“Could you not slap people for once ?”

“Ok, you want to play guess-what-happened ? Fine ! It has to do with Markus, Josh and North right ?”

 

Simon didn’t reply. He just bit nervously at the inside of his cheek.

 

“Wow, that was difficult to find,” Daniel muttered sarcastically. “Ok, second guess, that has to do with that stupid rumor going around the school right ?”

 

Why did his brother know him so well ? It wasn’t like he didn’t have a life outside school and his friends.

 

“Yay, two points. You know that rumor is bullshit, so why do you even care about it ?”

 

Once more, Simon stayed silent.

 

“Oh… Oh, your crush has a crush on North.”

 

Simon couldn’t really place a word on what he was feeling like right now, but he didn’t like it. At all.

 

“Man, that guy’s blind to chose  _ her _ over you. I mean, he totally chose the devil over an actual angel !”

 

_ Just shut it… _

 

“Monnie, don’t put yourself in that state over that.”

“Shut up.”

Daniel stared agape at him. “What ?”

“I said shut up. I don’t want to hear your opinion on that.”

 

It took some time for Daniel to start moving again from his shocked stance. And when he did it was only to leave the room.

  
  
  


North wasn’t sleeping with that goddamn coat every night. It was totally false. She didn’t enjoy the faint smell of clean cloth still impregnated on it. She didn’t enjoy the warmth it was offering and the softness of the tissue. False, false and false.

She only ever kept it because that would teach a lesson to Markus, yeah. She was a thief, always. If he hadn’t want for her to steal his precious coat, then he shouldn’t have lend it to her in the first place.

Except that she knew, in a corner of her mind, that Markus was totally fine with her keeping the coat. So it wasn’t technically a theft. Just as much as stealing Simon’s money wasn’t really theft anymore since the boy was totally giving it to her willingly.

North was starting to let herself get taken care of by the boys. It was unacceptable ! She shouldn’t accept it ! Once they would grow bored of her they would stop and she would be once again weeping in the street to have some money. If she definitely let them help, they would think of her as a scrounger, or they would stop it because it wouldn’t be fun anymore if she wasn’t pushing them away. If she continued to reject their help, they would eventually stop because it wouldn’t get them anywhere.

Either way, she will lose at the end. Either way she will go back to the street. So she couldn’t let herself grow soft. If she grew soft, then the fall would only become harder. If she left herself grow accustomed to their help then she wouldn’t find a way to get back on her feet after they would throw her away.

No, she had to stay tough. She had to ignore them. She had to continue the way she was. Period.

But she knew, once again in the deep part of her mind, that she was losing it. She was losing it to Simon’s softness and caring eyes, to his lack of malice and bad intention. She was losing it to the few gifts here and there that made her feel slightly better even if it shouldn’t. She was losing it to Josh fixing her planning every week to match her detention periods and extra assignments. She was even losing it to Markus’ coat and honest want to understand why she was treating him that way.

She shouldn’t losing it to him !! She should have just grab the occasion earlier and spit what he had done to her, so he would stop his false caring ! She shouldn’t have hesitated, she shouldn’t have let her heart tell her she still wanted the attention, faked or not. She should have yelled at him everything she knew, she should have make him promise to keep his words. She should have grab the occasion and never let go !

Instead her heart has been hurt when Markus had suggested the deal. She didn’t know why. She didn’t want to know why ! She didn’t want to know anything linked to Markus, except that she loathed him and that it had to be kept that way ! 

But who was she trying to lie to ? She knew everything was false. She wanted the help of the three boys. She enjoyed it. She didn’t want it to stop.

They didn’t even stop after they found her with a client. They didn’t even spread the thing around the school, erasing everyone’s doubts. She was a whore. A single word from Markus and everything would be out in the open. She would be ejected from school and she wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. The boys could have her in a leash and make her obey, but instead they continued to help her as if nothing had happened.

At worst, Simon was more uncomfortable than ever in her presence. But nothing had happened. North didn’t know why they hadn’t used it against her yet, but she couldn’t think they would ever try to do it. Whatever she did, she didn’t think they would ever use that against her.

Except that they did…

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick warning : some heavy homophobia and slut-shaming  
> Basically, all hell breaks lose, it's going to get violent. Soz

 

North had a bad feeling when she came to school that morning. There were the heavy stares, the more abundant disgusted looks, the whispers around her. She had tried to ignore it, thinking it was maybe because of the increasing numbers of hickey.

Except that once in the great hall of the school, she found why people were more insistent toward her. On the notice board, there were four or five pictures, A4 format, displaying the worst content she’d ever seen. There was her half naked with a dick between her legs, her crying on the ground with a few dollars at her feet, her without her top but with Markus’ coat on her shoulders…

That was the night they saw her ! There were photos ! And now they were on display for the whole school to see !!!

She was staring wide eyed at the board. She was hearing every whisper around her, she could feel every glances in her back. She knew about the circle of people surrounding her like she was a circus animal.

It was the end of the world. Everybody knew ! Everybody knew she was a slut ! It would spread on the internet, if it wasn’t already done. She will be ejected from the school. She will have no chance to get a job after that. _ She was ruined !! _

But who had taken the photos ? It had only been her and the three boys. Did they- Why ?! Why now ?! Why did they do this ?! When did they take the photos ?! Was it Markus ? Because she had refused to tell him why she hated him ? Or Josh ? He wasn’t fond of her after all, only following the two others’ directions. Or Sim- No. It couldn’t be him. He was an angel. He would never- Or maybe it had been an act ? Always. Why ? 

_ Because of the rumors ? _ Because Simon couldn’t bear seeing his crush with her ? Did he get revenge ? Was it what it was ?

 

“What the actual f-”

 

North saw a bewildered Markus rip the photos off of the billboard and tear them apart, like it was the most shameful thing he had ever seen. It wasn’t him. The photos were compromising for him too. After all, it was his coat she had hanging over her shoulders. It was involving him directly with what happened.

Josh was right behind him, looking almost more bewildered than Markus. He looked like he wanted to burn the remnant of photos himself and actually  _ murder _ anyone who displayed this here, despite being pacifist.

That left Simon, staring blanked face at the spectacle.

_ It was him !! _

North turned wildly on herself and pointed an accusatory finger toward him. She had finally snapped from her stupor, and now she could only feel anger and anger and anger and she was about to kill someone.

 

“YOU DID THIS !!” she yelled at Simon.

 

The boy suddenly jumped and looked wildly at her. His face was unreadable behind North’s veil of wrath clouding her eyes. She felt more than she saw Markus and Josh snap their attention back at them instead of the photos, confused look on their faces.

 

“Wha-” Simon started to say, but North cut him out sharply.

“YOU FUCKING TOOK THOSE PHOTOS DIDN’T YOU ?!!! THERE WERE ONLY THE THREE OF YOU THERE !!!”

“North, what are you-” Markus tried to get between her and Simon, but North pushed him out of the way.

“THAT’S YOUR FUCKING FAULT !!!” she continued to roar, attracting the whole school around them, as if the photos hadn’t been enough. She was totally crying now. 

“North-” Josh tried to interrupt too, but North wasn’t listening to anybody.

“WHAT ?! YOU COULDN’T BEAR WITH THE FACT THAT I STOLE YOUR FUCKING CRUSH ??!!!”

 

The almost guilty look taking place on Simon’s face told her everything she needed to know. That was him !!

Josh and Markus didn’t dare to speak again, instead looking even more confused between her and Simon who was totally losing it. He looked guilty, and betrayed, and terrified, and scared, and so much more at the same time.

 

“YOUR FAG LITTLE ASS COULDN’T BEAR WITH THAT GODDAMN RUMOR ABOUT MARKUS AND I UH ?!!! THAT’S YOUR WAY OF SEEKING REVENGE ?!!! YOU’RE A FUCKING DISGUSTING DICK !!!”

 

She didn’t see Daniel’s form storm his way to her, nor did she register the punch that sent her backwards and on her ass.

 

“ARE YOU FUCKING WITH ME BITCH ??!” he roared once he was effectively shielding Simon behind him. “YOU’RE THE GODDAMN WHORE WHO DOESN’T EVEN TAKE CARE OF HIDING IT AND YOU FUCKING ACCUSE SIMON OF DISPLAYING YOUR SEXUAL LIFE ??!”

“HE’S A GODDAMN FAGGOT !!!” she roared back, jumping on her feet, totally ready to fight Daniel if she needed to. She had nothing to lose anymore.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP !!!”

  
  
  


Markus and Josh both restrained the two yelling teenagers before they could jump on each other and try to murder someone in front of the whole school. North was thrashing wildly in his arms, crying and roaring everything she knew at Daniel and at the whole school around them.

It took two more minutes before a few teachers came here, shooed the crowd of students back to their business, and dragged North, Markus, Daniel and Josh to the headmaster’s office. Simon was nowhere in sight. Markus didn’t see him escape the scene.

Markus was actually worried. Both because the blond had seemed really hurt by North’s words, and because he couldn’t help but wonder  _ what if _ . Markus knew Simon was an angel and wouldn’t try to hurt anybody but… What if ?

The headmaster yelled at the four of them for the commotion (but less at Josh and Markus, still, because they had tried to stop it). After a good half an hour of Daniel and North yelling at each other, and the headmaster yelling at them all in return, they all got expelled from the office to wait outside, except for Markus. He stayed alone with Headmaster Stern and waited for the questions to be asked.

 

“What the heck happened ?” the woman finally asked, exasperated, a hand rubbing her temples.

“Someone took photos of North in a bad position and displayed it on the notice board this morning,” Markus answered dutifully.

“Yes, I saw the photos, they are also on internet,” Stern growled. “I know you care about that girl, but we can’t have… her in the school if she keeps doing those kind of things.”

“Ma’am, North is doing her best to get away from her situation, you can trust me on that point.”

The headmaster sighed again. “What happened for them to fight  _ again _ ?”

Markus stayed silent for a few seconds. “North believes Simon took the photos and leaked them because of… From what I understand, she believes Simon has a crush on me and couldn’t bear with the rumors about me and North so he took revenge.”

“Simon is Daniel’s brother right ?”

“Yes.”

 

The headmaster didn’t really seem to believe in that explanation.

 

“Why would she believe it is him and not another one of your fans ?”

“We… Josh, Simon and me were here that night. We happened to stumble on her by accident.”

 

Stern looked even more exasperated by that.

 

“You do know I will have to expel Daniel and North, and also Simon, if he proves to be the one doing that, right ?”

Markus nodded. “Yes. But please, give a last chance to North. She’s doing her best, really.”

 

The woman closed her eyes and breathed harshly through her nose.

 

“A week each. And I want to have Simon in my office. Send him my way when you see him again.”

“Yes.”

“Get the two furies back in.”

 

North was about to cry when she heard about another expulsion, but it wasn’t from sadness or stress. She actually was relieved she wasn’t being expelled definitely despite the photos and what happened. Daniel was only yelling more, saying she shouldn’t be staying there at all, but he was ignored by everybody.

Then Stern asked for North to stay in the office with her, while she let everybody else go back to class. Markus decided to stay in front of the office for North to come out. He would go seek Simon right after, but he needed to be sure North was alright after the bombshell that has been thrown this morning. He wanted to make her know he was here if she needed.

She got out of the office a quarter later, cheeks soaked with tears and a disbelieving look in her eyes. She stared at Markus instantly.

 

“Why did you do that ?” she croaked, trying to choke back her tears.

“None of it is your fault, you didn’t deserve to get punished,” he explained calmly.

“But I’m a whore !!!”

“ _ None _ of it is your fault,” he only repeated. 

 

It wasn’t her fault she was forced to sell her body. It wasn’t her fault someone had used her moment of weakness and taken stolen pictures. It wasn’t her fault someone had displayed them openly for everybody to see.

 

“But- But I’m…” North sobbed suddenly. “I just- Simon- he-”

“I’m going to look for him later.”

“But he did it !”

“I hope he didn’t,” Markus whispered, arms crossed defensively. “I truly want to believe he didn’t. But if he did, then I’m going to make him pay for it.”

 

Heavy tears rolled down North’s cheeks at that. She never looked as vulnerable as now.

 

“Why do you even care ? I- I hate you !”

“Well, I don’t,” Markus simply shrugged. “I care, that’s all. And I still don’t know why you hate me, but I don’t even care anymore. I will still care about  _ you _ , and if I can redeem myself for whatever I did by helping you, then I will.”

 

That was the first time Markus remarked how tiny she looked in his coat.

  
  
  


Simon had escaped the scene the moment Daniel had attracted all the attention toward him. He hadn’t been able to bear it anymore. To bear the staring, and the yells, and the insults, and whatever had just happened. He didn’t know how his morning had spiraled south that quickly.

He hadn’t done anything ! It was the truth ! This morning he had come to school with Daniel and abandoned him at the gate to meet Josh and Markus. Then the three of them had made their way inside, and they had started to feel something was off. The whispers, the looks, the secretive stances. They had found a crowd in front of the notice board and had managed to take a look at it.

The photos had instantly made Simon feel sick. It was already making him uncomfortable to see naked women on magazines while they were consenting, but those photos were stolen pictures ! North wasn’t consenting, either for the act or for the pictures or for the display. He could only stare blanked face as Markus ripped the pictures off of the board and teared them apart angrily.

And then he didn’t understand what had happened. North had started to yell at him and accused him of doing that. She had told the whole school he was gay and had a crush on Markus. She had told the whole school he was petty enough to do something like that.

_ Markus knew he had a crush on him !! _

Simon couldn’t face him again. He couldn’t face the school again. He didn’t want to feel the glares and the sneers and he didn’t want for his middle school years to repeat themselves ! He didn’t want to hear the insults and he didn’t want to have Daniel punching every single person who would look bad at him. Simon didn’t want to live that again !

He was scared. He was sad. He never did that ! Why did North believe that ? Did he do anything to make her think he had any ill-intentions ? And what if Markus believed it too now ? After all, he had ran away for the scene like a burglar ! And what if Markus was now disgusted by him ? Because he was gay and because he thought he had done that to North ? And what if Josh believed it too ? 

What would happen ? That was only his first year in high school, it was barely december. He didn’t want for everything to crumble down now !!

 

“Hey.”

 

His head shot up, bewildered, to look at the teenager standing before him.  _ Fuck ! _ Markus had found him ! Markus was going to yell at him.  _ Markus was going to hate him. _

He couldn’t help but burst into tears.

 

“Wow ! Hey, Simon, calm down please. Everything’s alright, really !”

 

Markus crouched down in front of him and tried to soothe him, but now that the tears were out, Simon couldn’t stop them.

 

“Simon, hey, why are you crying ? Is it because of what North said ?”

 

Simon highcupped and shrinked into a ball.

 

“I- I- I’m so- sorry !” he wailed, totally incapable of stopping himself.

“Why ? You weren’t the one doing this right ?”

Simon’s head snapped back up, contorted expression and he couldn’t even know himself what was happening to his face. “NO !!”

“Then-”

“I DIDN’T !! THAT WASN’T ME I SWEAR !! I- I NEVER- That was- wasn’t- P-Please believe me…”

 

He was pleading silently at the end. He must look so pathetic right now. Markus was probably disgusted by him now, if he wasn’t already before. But instead of sneering like Simon thought he would, Markus talked to him with the softest voice he could muster, eyes full of compassion.

 

“Hey, I believe you. You don’t have to be scared.”

 

Simon hated himself for tearing up even more. Pathetic pathetic pathetic !

Markus scrambled next to him and passed an arm around Simon’s shoulder to hug him.

 

“Everything’s fine Simon, really.”

 

Markus was kind enough to wait for Simon to calm down, one hand brushing his shoulder patiently. It must have taken ten good minutes before Simon’s tears finally calmed down.

 

“Are you feeling better ?” Markus whispered then.

“Y-Yeah. Sorry…”

“It’s fine, really. What happened ? You disappeared suddenly.”

Simon gulped. “I- I just got… scared… I mean, North thinks I did that and there was that crowd around us and- and she- she said…”

Markus continued for him when he trailed off. “She outed you in front of the whole school.” Simon only nodded. “And about me.”

 

Simon couldn’t be redder than he was now.  _ Fuck ! _ What was he supposed to say now ?!

 

“I- I just-”

“I don’t mind.”

 

The blond could only stare wildly at Markus.

 

“R-Really ?”

“Yes ? I can’t… Well, I can’t return your feelings, but I don’t mind, really.”

 

Ouch. That hurt.

But Markus wasn’t mad at him. Markus believed him. Markus didn’t hate him. Simon wouldn’t tear up again ! Nope ! He had done it enough for today !

 

“North and Daniel got expelled for a week, but I managed to make Stern give her a second chance.”

“Oh, that’s good...”

 

He could almost thank Markus right now for changing the subject. Simon would only get more embarrassed if it continued.

 

“Also, the headmaster wants to see you BUT-” Markus raised his voice when Simon looked at him bewildered. “-but only so you can tell her you haven’t done it. I backed you up too, so you shouldn’t get into troubles.”

“Th- Thanks…”

“No prob Simon.”

  
  



	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo ! Some bullying reaaaaaally cliché ahead (just wanted to have some protective North)

Markus had lied to Simon. Because Simon was the sweetest guy Markus has ever seen, and it would be a total lie for him to say it wasn’t making his heart turn into a puddle. Because Simon was the kindest, most lovable and caring boy Earth had ever created and Markus absolutely loved it. Markus loved the smiles, and the soft looks and Simon’s overall personality.

But he had lied to him. First off because he is a total idiot. Second because North had suddenly popped up in his head and he didn’t manage to make the image go away.

North was the utter contrary of Simon. Rude, loud, violent. Always ready to fight and to send people away. There were no kind smiles, just scowls and glares. But that was just… so North ? Markus knew there was a soft spot somewhere hidden behind the heavy shell. From time to time he managed to see it, and it was making him ever more curious to know the girl beneath the hatred.

So now he was fucked up. Totally. Because he had to choose between the soft guy who had already fallen for him, or the tough girl who didn’t want to have anything to do with him. And the choice shouldn’t be that hard for him to decide ! But it was.

And that fucked him up.  _ Ugh… _

He didn’t want to chose.

So he lied to Simon, for the sake of being able to decide later. He was just postponing the inevitable. Markus hated that.

North didn’t come to school for a week, just as the punishment required. It let some time for Markus, Josh and Simon to make their little investigation, prepare sweet stuffs to cheer the girl up when she will return, and try to distill the situation around the whole school.

It didn’t take much time to understand where the photos came from. The first trace of it was on the internet, on some kind of porn forum distributing pictures. A student must have seen it there and decided to be an utter asshole and leak them at school. Now the photographer seemed to be the one posting the pictures there, and Markus could almost bet it was the guy who he had punched that night, or one of his friends they didn’t remark because they had been too shocked by the situation.

That being cleared, that left Markus using his influence in school to make the subject drop quickly. A little speech here and there with the help of the teachers, an  _ idol style _ smile to charm everybody, and here it was done. No doubt it will come back at full force when North will be back from her expulsion, but Markus was willing to defend her when the time will come. So were Josh and Simon.

And finally, Markus dropped some soups and vegetables cans in North’s locker. Simon got more bandages and painkillers, and added sweets too. Josh had gotten the girl a new coat because  _ she will have to drop yours to the washing machine one day you know ? _ along with preparing her a new planning.

And during that week without North, the school had to find a new scapegoat to spit on. That was Simon. Of course. It was exasperating Markus. Why was he the one victim of all of that ? The girls following Markus everywhere weren’t any better than Simon, so why did they decide to batter the poor boy ? Because he  _ was _ a boy ? Markus couldn’t care less, and so should they.

Simon had just been outed unwillingly in front of the whole school, and in front of his crush. He really didn’t need people laughing at him for that. Especially since Simon dealt badly with the attention and the jokes.

So Markus and Josh had become his personal knights in shining armor for the week. Simon didn’t have Daniel to protect him for the moment, so the two will do. They waited for the boy in front of the school, they waited for him before his class at the end of a period.  _ Of course _ it was making more rumors spread, but Markus didn’t care. And Simon shouldn’t care either.

Simon was always telling him he was alright and they didn’t need to do that. But Simon wasn’t fine, that was for sure. If all, he looked more uncomfortable than usual.

 

“You already got into that kind of situation ?” Josh asked once, after him and Markus made a group of girls run away from Simon.

The blond sighed heavily and nodded. “Last year yes… Daniel ended up getting definitely expelled because he kept fighting everybody because of that…”

“Doesn’t sound good.”

“No…” Simon sighed again. “I don’t really want to change school again because of something so stupid…”

 

Markus squeezed his shoulder and offered him a reassuring smile.

 

“You think you’ll be alright talking to North or…” Markus trailed off, eyeing Simon’s reaction closely.

“Yes. I… want to tell her it wasn’t me. And, erm… well, apologize for ever making her think I could want to hurt her like that.”

“You didn’t do anything Simon,” Josh shook his head.

“I know… It’s just… I’d feel better if I could tell her that. And so would she, I think.”

 

Gosh, Simon was the most selfless guy Markus has ever seen. A real angel.

  
  


 

North would love to say that week had been relaxing and that she didn’t do much but sleep her previous sleepless nights, but it wasn’t true. North didn’t have the 20 dollars from Simon for that week, so… back in the street… Again…

She knew the pictures had leaked on the internet, even if she couldn’t check it by herself, having no phone or any stuff. Not that she ever wanted to see those things again. Meaning she would have even less chances of finding a  _ real _ job, and it would prove to be even more complicated to get away from her situation.

North took the bottle of healing gel on the bed table and squeezed it on her fingers, before massaging her bruised cheekbone. It was the last bottle she had, one that Simon had given her. North glared at it. Markus was sure it wasn’t him, but North just… She was sure it was him. She didn’t know why, but it was him ! He had just ruined her life more than it already was because of his petty jealousy !

It wasn’t her fault  _ fucking _ Markus was that way with her !! Even her didn’t understand why he was like that. He was just too…  _ too fucking perfect _ . Yeah. Always doing the right thing and caring about strangers and all. Always smiling brightly and willing to give help to everybody and his beautiful eyes and charming manners and all and all and fuck it ! He was  _ too _ perfect !

Of course Simon had fallen for that perfect ass. Being all perfect and cute too. God, they would go so well with each other, it was almost disgusting. North could puke.

She was really moody the day she came back to school. Her cheek was still bright blue, or green, or purple, it was too much of a weird color to know exactly. And she was already getting prepared mentally to hear the insults and the mocking and to deal with the glares and everything else. She could deal with that. She had done for the whole beginning of the year after all. She could deal with that.

Or not. Because everybody had seen her naked and she felt like she was constantly naked now too. It was unnerving. She was ashamed and more moody and she wanted to punch everybody. North wanted to go back in time and never ever let anyone see her in that position. Be it the randoms at school or the fucking trio.

She stared stupidly at her locker when she opened it. Her stock of healing stuff had been restocked, there were sweets and soups and cans of peas and carrots and a coat ? There was a note with Josh’s writing saying he still had the note if the size wasn’t the right one. 

North couldn’t tear up now !! She had already attracted enough attention like that ! They didn’t need to see another of her weak side !! She wasn’t tearing up !

That  _ fucking  _ trio and their  _ fucking _ gifts and why ?! Why did they do that ?!

She slammed the locker’s door angrily without touching anything and stomped toward her first class. She was early, she had time, she didn’t even know why she came here  _ that  _ early.

 

“Hey Simon !!”

 

North cringed. Ugh, she didn’t want to see him right now. She could see three girls crowding a very uncomfortable Simon who was trying to step away. North huffed and turned to get away from the scene. The blond hadn’t seen her, and it was better that way.

 

“Don’t you have another super stunt to get the bitch expelled again ?” one of the girls laughed. It was almost enough for North to turn again and break her nose.

North barely heard Simon’s mutter after. “That wasn’t me…”

“Yeah sure ! Come on, you can tell us, we hate that bitch too.”

“That wasn’t me and I don’t hate her…”

“Ugh ! You’re such a pussy ! C’m’on, the only reason we tolerate your gay ass around Markus is because you pulled that awesome stunt you know ?”

 

North turned her head to look at them again. God, Simon was really good at attracting bullies, wasn’t he ? It was because he was too soft. Also, North screaming in front of the whole school about his crush for Markus had not help, hadn’t it ? 

And North was surprised to feel the ping of guilt twisting her guts. She wouldn’t have felt guilty at all about his fate if she hadn’t looked at him now. The boy looked like he was about to cry. He looked really genuine about not having done that, and not hating North despite how she had yelled at him. He looked like he had just received a bomb-blast too.

 

“What ? You gonna cry blondie ? Wow, I knew fags were sensitive but to that extent…”

 

_ Fuck it. _

Punching the first girl had been the most amazing feeling North had had for a whole week.

 

“Hey  _ bitches _ !” North snarled at the three girls who suddenly looked terrified and confused. “You wanna bully someone ? Come on then, try with me !”

 

The girls recoiled a bit, the one North’s punched crying disgustingly behind the other two. North laughed sickly.

 

“What ? You scared ? Aw, poor swines ! None of you can get into Markus’ good books so you’re trying to hurt one of his best friends ? Are you stupid ? How about you go fuck yourselves somewhere else and leave us alone uh ?!”

 

The girls looked like they wanted to snap at her, but they finally decided against it and ran away without a word, except for the punched girl’s gibberishes. 

North snorted. People playing tough when they couldn’t even stand up to a single person. Pathetic. She turned with a huff to take a look at Simon. The blond still looked pretty shaken, eyes awfully watered and nose red. His eyes got wide when he saw North was looking at him, and he looked everywhere but at her.

 

“Gosh, you’re weak,” North said without a single hint of guilt.

“S-Sorry…”

“Don’t fucking apologize ! I don’t know, prove me you’re not weak or something !!”

“Sorry…”

 

North looked exasperated at the ceiling. That boy was hopeless. A total  _ angel _ . He’ll have it up the ass someday.

 

“I mean…” North snapped her attention back at Simon. “I’m sorry if I ever… ever made you think I wanted to hurt you or… I wasn’t… I didn’t do it, really !”

 

Oh god. Why were Markus and Simon both so damn perfect huh ? All selfless and caring about others more than themselves. Simon looked genuine, North couldn’t try to incriminate him. He could probably not lie at all, in fact, being all perfect and angelic as he was. 

Alright, she had made a mistake by accusing him in front of the whole school and outing him like that. She was admitting it.

 

North crossed her arms on her chest. “Tch- You ain’t even gonna yell at me for outing you right ?”

 

Simon only shook his head.

 

“Of  _ fucking _ course…”

 

_ Fucking perfect. _

  
  
  


They had class together that morning. And Simon stared disbelieved as North took the seat next to him. Why… Why ? Usually she ignored him and tried to stay as far away from him as she could. Did- Did something happened during that week ?

 

“By the way,” North muttered under her breath so the prof wouldn’t hear her. “Tell the two others to fucking stop filling my locker with random stuff.”

“Sorry… We… thought you would appreciate it.”

North blinked at him and finally turned her head away with a huff, like a petulant child. “Yeah well I don’t.”

 

Er… Sure ? Simon was pretty blind, but even him could tell it was a lie.

 

“You… You ok ?”

“I don’t understand a single fuck of what the prof’s talking about, photos of me naked are running around the school, I have a fucking bruise hurting my cheek and three goddamn stalkers who violate my locker every two days. How am I supposed to be ok ?”

 

Simon took his time before answering. What was he supposed to say exactly ? Try to convince her Markus, Josh and him weren’t stalkers ? No… Besides, they  _ were _ violating her locker every two days. He couldn’t do anything about her bruise either. Or about the photos leaking.

 

“Want me to explain the lesson ?”

“Ugh… Do whatever you want.”

 

Simon smiled kindly and explained quietly what was happening on the board to her.

He really didn’t know what happened during that week off for that girl to start acting like that, but he… enjoyed it. Yes. North had protected him earlier, and she wasn’t sneering or mocking him or calling him names. She was still rude and she still swore excessively, but Simon could live with that. Really.

 

“Um… You- You want to… eat with us ?”

 

Bad move. Yeah. North’s usual angry face whipped his way.

 

“What, you will say you’ll pay again or some fuck like that ?”

“You… No, I won’t if you don’t want me to…”

 

Simon was sure she would refuse and storm off angrily, just like the last time he had tried to ask. He was already regretting it. He was always going too fast. He should have let her come to him, just like she had done earlier. The girl needed to go at her own pace, right ?

But after five minutes of silence, North finally muttered something.

 

“I don’t have money to eat outside…”

“Then you… er… you don’t want to eat with-”

“I’m hungry.”

 

That was the last thing she said. Simon was really confused. Was she accepting his invitation or not ? He didn’t know…

Anyway, she followed him after classes. She barely glared at Markus, more by habit than because she was really mad at him like she was before. Something had  _ definitely _ happened during that week off… Or before. Markus and Josh watched them approaching with wide eyes. Markus was the first one to finally smile.

 

“Hey there.”

“Fuck off  _ idol boy _ ,” North huffed without looking at him.

“You’re coming to eat with us ?” Josh blinked, still weirded out at the fact North was standing with them.

 

North shifted embarrassingly from foot to foot. It made it pretty clear to everybody she didn’t have the money, but she still wanted to come. They only needed to know if she was willing to let them pay or if she was going to make it hard for them all.

 

“Nice,” Markus only said like nothing weird was happening at all. “I hope you like Chinese then.”

 

He started to walk, and Josh and Simon followed suit out of habit. North fumbled a bit before deciding to join them.

North became suddenly angry when she saw they were at a self-serve buffet.

 

“What ?! You scared I will get embarrassed to ask for you to pay more if I’m hungry or-”

“No,” Markus cut her off directly.

Simon scratched his head self-consciously. “It’s because I eat a bit too much. We only come to that kind of place now because of that.”

Josh snorted. “ _ A bit  _ ? Dude, you’re a literal black hole. Seriously, he never stops,” he said, looking directly at North while pointing Simon with his finger.

“Do you ?” North asked skeptically, a brow perfectly raised. She was totally checking him out now, and it couldn’t be more embarrassing for Simon. Yes, he was a shrimp, he already knew that !

 

North was eating about as much as Simon. Josh was totally baffled as the two emptied plates and plates without stopping. Each time one of them was suggesting the other to try something with this or that sauce and they never stopped eating. Markus was obviously trying to stop himself from laughing. Simon didn’t know if it was because of Josh’s face or Simon and North total love for chinese food, but he seemed to enjoy himself.

Simon was too. Strangely ? Markus still looked at North like she was supposed to be treasured, and while it did make Simon’s inside growl angrily, he was actually enjoying himself here. It was maybe because Markus had clearly rejected him a week ago, so he didn’t have any stupid hope trying to make his way in his mind left. He was fine. Markus looked happy, North looked happy, Josh looked… funny ?

So yeah, Simon was happy too. Truly. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I already said that, like, two chapters ago, but really thank you for reading, leaving kudos and commenting. You guys are sweet <3  
> Also, I was thinking, I'm doing a bunch of one shots (on North/Markus/Simon in this AU) for the second part of the serie and I was wondering if you guys had any prompts you wanted to read, or stuff like that ? Don't hesitate to suggest me stuff :3


	9. Chapter 9

North wasn’t always staying with them, but she was more and more. Eating with them from time to time mostly, and making Simon’s bullies run away. She quickly wore the coat Josh got her too, even if it was slightly too big for her. And she wasn’t stealing Simon’s money anymore. Well, she wasn’t asking either. She was just… ordering him to give her his money. It was an improvement, really !

Markus really enjoyed having her around. She was making their little group even more animated. Simon really seemed to appreciate her, and even if Josh still had his prejudices, he was quick to argue and banter with her the same way he would do with Simon, even a bit more actually. 

And Markus really enjoyed having her around because… Because he was fucked, always. She was bright and vigorous and awesome and Markus was really really weak. He couldn’t help smiling like an idiot when North was around. He had that little thing fluttering in his chest and, god, he was so fucked up. He fell so hard and fast, he couldn’t believe it.

 

“You. Are. Disgustingly happy,” Josh snarled on Markus’ bed, not looking up from his phone. “I’m going to puke.”

“Jealous.”

“Yurk !”

 

Markus laughed and shook his head.

 

“What happened by the way ?” Josh continued, barely looking at Markus before continuing to type on his phone.

“What what ?”

“Well, before her forced holidays she wanted to bash your head on every possible surface when you were less than fifty feet away from her, and now she barely glares at you and she eats with us ? Not that I don’t appreciate it, but the heck ?”

Markus shrugged. “We talked.”

“About ?”

“Why she hates me.”

 

Josh suddenly threw his phone away on the bed and looked at his with insistence.

 

“Tell me everything !” 

“Josh…”

“Teeeeell meeeeeeee !”

Markus snorted. “Alright, fine. Last year of middle school, you remember ?”

Josh huffed indignated. “Of course I do, it was your worst year.”

“Yeah, and it was her worst year too. Basically she started selling her charms that year.”

“Ouch… That’s really early...”

“Apparently I stopped her the first time, and told her if she needed any help she could come to me.”

 

Josh raised a brow but didn’t say anything.

 

“Except that when she did come to ask for help I totally forgot about her or what had happened-”

“That was right after your dad’s stroke right ?”

 

Markus nodded. Carl had had a severe stroke that year, and Markus had been a mess. He had barely slept at all the whole time his father had been at the hospital, he forgot everything from day to day and had even had a breakdown at some point. Josh had been his anchor that year, taking care of him everyday, and starting his new habit of planning Markus’ weeks so he wouldn’t have another break down. Josh had been a life savior.

 

“So apparently I shooed her away like she was a nuisance and she started to think I actually never cared and just talked big words because it did me good.”

“So, if Carl didn’t have his stroke, North wouldn’t have started her business and we wouldn’t be in this whole mess,” Josh sighed. Markus shook his head.

“So yeah, we talked about that.”

“And she believed you when you told her what had happened to you at that time ?”

 

No. Not at all. Not at first, at least. She had been very skeptical, like he had been trying to find some excuses to get away with it. But she had been very perceptive, probably because Markus was always a mess when he talked about the time his father almost died. 

They had both been a mess. North had been crying and yelling when she had told her story, at first excessively angry and shouting everything without really thinking, and at the end she had been sobbing wildly because her life was now a mess because of that. Markus had been on verge of crying after having told his side of the story.

Then there had been lots of excuses from his part, and lot of silence from her. And eventually they had agreed to never talk about that ever again. That was all.

 

Markus finally shrugged. “Looks like she did.”

  
  
  


_ Fuck ! _ Fuck fuck fuck fuck  _ fuck !! _

She totally forgot about her rent ! She hadn’t done a thing in the back alleys since she came back to school, only accepting Simon’s money and Markus’ offers to pay for her meals, and she totally forgot that she needed to pay to have a roof above her head too !! Where was she supposed to get that much money that quickly ?! She couldn’t become homeless by the end of december, during the school holidays !!

 

“Er… Are you alright ?” Simon asked softly, slightly leaning on his desk to get a better look of North face who was hidden between her hands.

“No !!”

“What’s happening ?”

“Nothing ! Leave me alone !!”

 

She was fucked she was fucked she was fucked ! What was she supposed to do ?! She couldn’t get enough clients in less than a week to pay her rent. She wouldn’t even be able to bear it. 

 

“I’m fucked…”

“You… You need some help ?”

“How could you help me with that ?!!”

 

The prof whipped her head toward North and glared at her to make her shut up. North didn’t really registered her. She didn’t even know what they were supposed to learn today with her. 

Simon looked a bit hurt by her sudden backlash, and North would almost,  _ almost _ , feel guilty to see him like that. 

 

“That’s nothing,” she muttered back in her hands.

“North… Please…”

 

She never answered Simon. She didn’t answer Markus and Josh either when they went to eat at midday. She couldn’t ask them to help. They were already doing too much for her. They were already paying for her lunches, and her coat, and her healing stuff and even her dinners with the cans and the soups. They were already paying for everything, she couldn’t ask them for help now !

So she never told them, and when holidays came she didn’t have a place to go anymore. She only had a little suitcase with her clothes and her backpack and she was freezing in the street, only wishing for school to come back quickly so she could enjoy the warm temperature in there. 

She had never fallen that hard. She had had really difficult periods, yes, but she had never been homeless. That was the absolute worst. She didn’t have anything to heat her cans and her pastas, she didn’t have a bed or even a chair to sleep on, she didn’t even have a goddamn shower to wash the filth away ! 

It was already bad enough she had to get fucking cum and sweat on her body to have the slightest of moneys, she was feeling like she could jump in the river near by to just stop feeling it on her legs and everywhere else.

She never came that close to wanting to die. Not even when the pictures had leaked around the school.

North closed her eyes and let her head rest against the wall behind her. It was only two weeks. It was alright. She could survive this. As soon as she’ll have enough money again she will rent a new place and everything will be better again. It was just a matter of time.

 

“North ?”

 

_ Oh god fuck ! It had to be a joke !!! _

North opened her eyes tiredly and spared a glance at Markus, who was standing right in front of her, looking concerned.

 

“Are you alright ?”

 

_ No. _

 

“Yes.”

“But you-”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Nort-”

“LEAVE ME ALONE !!”

 

Markus didn’t argue more, but he didn’t left her alone. He crouched down before her and looked attentively at her and her bags.

 

“Do you want to come to my place ?”

 

North didn’t mean to break his nose, really ! But the kick went off by itself. She was just soooo used to hit the people asking her to go to their place to do the stuff, it had been a reflex.

North stared wide eyed, frightened, as Markus grunted in his hand as his nose was bleeding. She really didn’t mean it !

 

“Sorry,” Markus groaned. “I shouldn’t have suggest it like that, should I ?”

“Why don’t you get mad ?!!” North snapped instead of apologizing, even if she truly felt guilty. “I just broke your nose !!”

“I don’t mind, it’s alright.”

 

Markus’ smile...  _ Fuck. _ Why was he like that ? Was he trying that hard to make her fall ?

 

“I’m going to reformulate ok ? If you need a place to stay at for the holiday, there is enough room in my house for another person.”

 

North pinched her lips.  _ Do not accept. Do  _ not _ accept ! _

 

“Please…”

 

Fail…

  
  
  


Simon was bored. Christmas holidays had never been boring before, but not having Markus, Josh or North around was actually annoying. He just wanted to hang with them some more, maybe to go to the movies or some place like that. But Josh was out of town to his grandparents’, Markus had work for his associations and stuff, and North was obviously avoiding them all since last week. 

So Simon was boring himself to death, with only Daniel to keep him company.

 

“Earth to Simon, what the fuck’s wrong with you ?”

 

Simon mumbled something intelligible in his pillow that made Daniel sigh heavily.

 

“Stop ignoring me ! I’m as bored as you are !!” Daniel whined and started poking at Simon’s shoulder annoyingly.

 

Simon wasn’t ignoring him. He was just bored, and even if sometimes the two of them would find something entertaining, it never last really long.

 

“Monniiiiiie, you’re supposed to be the one never bored and always enjoying whatever the fuck is happening, where’s your usual joy ?”

“rhhnm,lmll…”

“Stop mumbling in the pillow !!”

“rmmm…”

 

Daniel gave a headbutt to Simon who didn’t react at all.

 

“FINE ! You know what, let’s make it a shopping day !”

 

That  _ finally _ made Simon look at Daniel with an questioning glance.

 

“I’m going to get myself video games because there’s no way I’m spending two weeks boring myself to death, and you just have to get some Christmas gifts for your two boyfriends and your girlfriend. Fine by you ?”

 

Simon couldn’t be smiling more right now.

 

“Fine !”

 

Except that it was easier said than done. Simon didn’t have the slightest idea what he could get for the others. For the joke, he would have given a baseball bat to North, but he was fearing she would actually use it, so he didn’t dare. But then…

Josh liked stories, Markus liked everything, North liked nothing. What was he supposed to do with that ? He could maybe get North new clothes. She enjoyed Markus’ and Josh’s coats, so maybe he could do something like that. For Josh, he could get some books. No romance because Josh gets easily bored or sick of that. No thriller or action because Josh was  _ always _ against violence. What did that left ? Slices of life and psychological stuff. Simon hoped he would enjoy that…

But Markus… Simon knew he would enjoy whatever he would give him, but Simon wanted to give him something significant, not some random knick-knack. 

Daniel was complaining again because he was bored. Because Simon was taking  _ years _ to decide what he would get for Markus without ever making a single decision. Daniel was following him everywhere, a bag with three new games in, another one for North’s clothes and a last one with Josh’s books in hands. Simon had gave them to him earlier to check through random stuff without having it bothering him.

 

“Get him chocolates,” Daniel whined. “Get him a goddamn book too, or a fucking pair of socks, I don’t even care at that point…”

“But I want it to be significant…”

“Heart-shaped chocolates.”

“Dannie…”

“Monnie, you just fucking have to smile to make everybody happy, especially him, so why do you even care ?”

“Sh- Shut up…”

 

He really needed to learn how to control his blushes. 

 

“Alright ! How about a donation for his associations ?”

“No.”

“A planner ?”

“No.

“Some goddamn nail paint ?!”

“OH !!”

Daniel blinked. “That was a joke you know ?”

 

Simon only wildly gestured to the display cabinet in front of them like he had just found the most incredible gift he could ever give to Markus.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey ! I'm doing a bunch of one shots (on North/Markus/Simon in this AU) for the second part of the serie and I was wondering if you guys had any prompts you wanted to read, or stuff like that ? Don't hesitate to suggest me stuff :3


	10. Chapter 10

Simon couldn’t be more excited to go back to school. And it was weird, because people in there still were behind him and North every other minute. But he just wanted to see Markus, Josh and North. He didn’t even care about the bad sides of coming back to school.

Daniel was totally done with him. Simon couldn’t stop hopping like a little bunny, a shopping bag on his shoulder with every gift he got for the others. He kinda hoped they would enjoy it, but he was still excited more than anxious. He didn’t see what could go wrong, really.

Daniel abandoned him at the gates, not wanting to get any closer from the red-haired fury that might wait for them there. Simon just shrugged and made his way to their usual meeting point. Josh was the first one there, so Simon approached him with a bright smile.

 

“You’re going to turn me blind Simon,” Josh laughed as Simon stopped in front of him. “You had nice holidays ?”

“Sort of,” Simon shrugged nonchalantly. 

Josh shook his head in return and pointed at Simon’s extra bag. “What’s that ?”

 

Simon only smiled knowingly but didn’t say anything. Josh, for his credit, didn’t try to pry any further. They waited for Markus (and maybe North too) while talking about the new movies that came out during the holidays, and how Josh had seen most of them and how they all  _ sucked _ . Simon was starting to believe Josh only said that for his reputation but actually loved them, because he kept going to see them again and again despite knowing they were action movies.

Josh was the first one to wave when he saw Markus and North approach together. Simon quickly followed, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes.  _ North already had the pretty sweater Simon bought her _ . Ugh… fail… It was a nice white pullover, pretty thick, with a nice, big neckband floating around. It was a bit too big for her, she was totally floating on it, but she looked pretty cute.

Markus smiled brightly when they both rejoined them.

 

“Wow, I thought you would come back complaining about Leo as always, but you’re almost as blinding as Simon…” Josh said with a raised eyebrow, a little smirk plastered on his lips.

“Leo wasn’t much of a nuisance,” Markus shrugged.

Josh looked at North then. “Nice sweater.”

 

North shuffled a bit from foot to foot, but ended up murmuring a  _ Thank you _ that was totally out of character.

 

“Dad’s got it for her.”

 

That made Josh and Simon look at him quizzically at the almost same time. North looked slightly embarrassed.

 

“She spent the holidays at home. It was really great.”

 

_ Oh… _ Simon tried to ignore the ping of jealousy nestling in his chest. It’s alright, North had financial problems, being fed everyday, especially during the Christmas season, must have done her good. Especially since she looked greater than Simon had ever seen her.

 

“That explain why you don’t complain about Leo,” Josh’s smile matched Markus one, obviously happy for his friend. “You had great holidays then North ?”

“Yeah, the bath was awesome,” she snorted. Markus rolled his eyes.

 

Josh blinked suddenly toward the ground, before a knowing smile, doubled with an exasperated expression, appeared on his face.

 

“Ah, finally ?”

 

Simon looked that way too, and found Markus and North pinkies intertwined together. It was the most discreet thing, especially since North’s new sweater was long enough to almost hide her hands. Simon’s heart lurched brutally in his guts.

 

“Oh…”

“Yeah, stuff happened and all,” Markus shrugged, a slight blush decorating his cheeks.

“I swear to god, if I hear about it more than necessary, I’m gonna slap you both, alright ?” Josh warned them, always a  _ big fan _ of romances.

“Trust me, you won’t hear much but for when I’ll be teasing him,” North said deviously, and Markus looked down.

“Found your new passion uh ?” Josh laughed.

“Teasing him is the most laughable thing I’ve ever done. Especially since Carl helped me greatly !” she answered with a bright, honest smile.

 

_ Ugh… _

 

“How about you two ?” Markus nodded to Josh and Simon. Josh was the first to answer.

“Went to the movies twice a day to escape my grandparents, like usual.”

 

Then they all looked at him expectantly. Simon just lowered his eyes.

 

“I played video games with Daniel.”

 

Josh had the faintest frown, but the two other didn’t pick it up. North pointed at Simon’s extra bag like Josh had done earlier.

 

“And that ?”

“Just for class.”

 

This time, Markus and North did get something was off, but they didn’t question him further. Josh was awfully silent beside him though, and was staring at him with a concerned look. He suddenly clapped his hands and got everyone’s attention to him.

 

“Speaking of classes, it’s going to start soon and I’m so not going to be late with Miss Devil. You coming Simon ? You’re the class right next to me.”

 

It was weird, but Markus and North didn’t say anything. They only nodded, let go of each other pinky and stepped in the school before going another way from Simon and Josh.

 

“Alright, what was that ?” Josh murmured once they were out of view.

“You’re the one acting weird,” Simon pointed in return. Josh shook his head.

“You were a literal ball of sunshine when you came here and now you’re totally moping. And that thing ain’t for class, we both know it,” Josh said, nodding to the bag. Simon unconsciously hid it behind his shoulder.

“It’s nothing.”

“Simon, don’t make me pry, seriously.”

“That’s nothing…”

 

Simon quickly turned and made his way to his own class, ignoring Josh’s look behind him.

_ What could go wrong ? _ What an idiot.

  
  
  


Markus had made the  _ worst _ mistake _ever_. He knew it. He’d just spent two nice weeks with North, and they got closer and closer until they finally started brushing fingers under the table and exchanging knowing looks and more. He was just so happy and excited by how things turned that he had totally forgot.

Then Simon’s face fell obviously when he saw them holding hands and Markus’ little paradise flew far, far away.  _ Fucking fuck _ , he had forgotten about Simon… He had forgotten about Simon’s crush on him, and he had forgotten about his own crush on Simon.

It was maybe a hint. That he was more fond of North than Simon, so he should just continue with how things are now with her and let his crush on the boy disappear little by little. Except that the contrary was happening. Instead of being fine with only North, he was starting to want Simon too.

Not just North. Not just Simon. The two of them.  _ At the same time _ . 

Gosh, what a greedy idiot. He was fucked… What was he supposed to do uh ? The worst is that North had hinted about Markus’ crush on Simon when they sorted things out and started going out together ! But it had immediately flown away when she had asked him if he wanted to go out with her. His brain had rebooted or something like that.  _ And he forgot !! _

So what was he supposed to do ? It didn’t help much if he forget about his own wants, if he was being selfless. Because he didn’t want to hurt Simon.  _ At all ! _ Simon was a ball of sunshine, a smiling, cute angel who was a lot too selfless for his own good. Besides, Markus had already rejected him. So Simon wouldn’t do anything. He would just observe from afar without saying a thing, and it would hurt him. Markus didn’t want to hurt Simon any more.

But Markus didn’t want to hurt North either. Their relationship was still a bit wobbly. North still didn’t have a full trust on him. She was testing the waters first. So if Markus decided to go with Simon, it would crush everything to naught. She would hate him again, she would have to go in the street again, and she would be hurt  _ again _ .

Whatever he did, he was hurting one of them, and he couldn’t bear that. It was hurting him in return.

Lunches were the weirdest now. They were all silent and lost in their thought. Simon had that smudge of guilt painted all over his face, knowing it was him who had started the whole cringe-y-ness. Josh looked like he was actively trying to understand what was happening and find a solution according to that. North was making the same face as Simon. She knew about their crushes on each other, so she must have understood the reason of the whole comedy. And Markus was trying to find a way out too.

But nothing. At all. No way out.

 

“What was in that bag ?” Josh asked at their fourth lunch in that state. They all knew which bag he was talking about.

“Class stuff,” Simon answered again bluntly.

“Yeah but what ?”

 

Simon stayed silent. He didn’t know how to lie. It was like the first time Markus talked him out of his lie. He didn’t know how to supply his lies with details and fell silent each time he had to tell a bit more about it because they were prying.

 

“Why do you want to know ?” Simon sighed, looking pleadingly at Josh to drop the subject.

 

Josh only shrugged. He didn’t continue the conversation that day.

But the next day the question came back.

 

“Why to you want to know ? That’s just a bag !”

 

And Josh shrugged again, falling silent then. Markus and North didn’t try to pry further than what Josh was attempting, even though they were both as curious as him.

It continued like that for almost a week. Each day, Markus could see Simon’s infinite patience grow thinner and thinner. Until he finally snapped, stomped heavily to his locker, got the bag out of it and threw it without ceremony at them.

 

“Here !! Happy ?!!”

 

And he ran away almost immediately. Markus couldn’t feel more guilty than that, and so was Josh. But his best friend opened the bag nonetheless and looked inside first.

 

“Oh…”

 

Markus didn’t have time to ask what was inside that Josh had given a wrapped up Christmas present to North, then one to Markus, and finally one for himself. North blinked down at her gift.

 

“He made us gifts ?” she said surprised.

 

The question Markus wanted to ask was why he hadn’t given them to them before. Josh got his gift out first. It was a complete serie of books, but Markus couldn’t see the title. Then he heard ripping noise and saw North had uncovered her present too.

It was the same jumper Carl had gotten her.

 

“Oh…” Josh repeated, along with North. “He must have been pretty crestfallen to see you already had it…”

 

North pinched her lips. She kept the sweater against her chest and looked at Markus and his unwrapped gift. Markus sighed and ripped the paper too to find a little ring box that he opened.

There was a pretty silver ring inside, with a thin band of black wood in the middle. The silver on each side was polished so it was shining blue or green according to the lighting and the angle. It didn’t fit Markus’ fingers though, but Simon must have thought about it because there was a light chain in the box too.

 

“It’s pretty. Suits you,” North acknowledged silently.

 

She took the ring out, got the chain in it and hanged it around Markus neck for him.

And Markus couldn’t do or say anything because his heart was aching even more.

  
  
  


Simon had pretty much disappeared after that. He stayed mostly with his brother, so North, Josh and Markus’ lunches were pretty empty. North couldn’t help but feel bad.

She had basically stolen Simon’s crush, despite knowing full well about it. She had basically stolen her  _ best friend _ ’s crush. Wow. What a bitch. And she had accused Simon of being petty jealous when the pictures leaked. Who was the pettiest now ?

North had never related to Simon more than now. She was finally understanding why he was so fond of Markus. She could feel it now too, after having spend two weeks with Markus without the wall of hatred she usually felt. And she had fallen hard, even if she had tried not to.

And she had been the first one to make a move and to get Markus. But she was confused. North had yelled in front of both of them about Simon's crush. But apparently they hadn't talked about it ? Because Markus was fond of Simon too, it made no doubt. So why didn't he take the opportunity and got out with him ?

Instead of that, Markus was moping every days, playing unconsciously with the ring at his neck. Markus didn't like the situation. He didn't like not having Simon around, and it was showing.

North and Markus’ relationship was still new and weak, North knew it. If she didn't try to do something, it would eventually disappear because of Markus’ state, and North, Simon and Markus will all be mopping alone somewhere. And North didn't want that at all.

She had finally grown accustomed to having the three men constantly annoying her, she wasn't going to let everything go now that she started to feel better ! Now that Markus was her boyfriend and that she had two best friends. She needed to find a way out of that mess of a situation she had created. 

But how ? She didn't want to let go of Markus, she was selfish like that. Besides, Markus probably wouldn't enjoy having to let her go for Simon either. So breaking up with Markus was definitely not a solution. Then what did that left ?

Not much. Maybe finding Simon a good boyfriend ? Another pretty perfect man with a nice butt, profound eyes and huge charisma. Haha. As if it was possible. That wasn't some cute crush you could shrug away, Simon was totally in love with Markus. Except by finding a Markus number two, it might prove to be difficult.

Or maybe they didn't need to get a Markus number two ? Maybe just this one could do ?

Then how would it work ? She loved Simon, sure, but as her best friend, at most. And Simon was totally gay, so it was a no no in that direction too.

So just… Sharing Markus ?

Would it work ? First of all, was she ok sharing Markus with someone ? To her greatest surprise, she was as long as it was with Simon. Or Josh, but Josh was allergic to romance, so no problem this way. North was fine with Simon, because she knew he was a literal angel with no ill-will. She knew he wouldn't try to have it all for himself because he was too selfless and cared too much about her and Markus’ wellbeing. So the answer was yes.

But would Simon accept to share Markus with her ? She was a lot more deceptive and manipulative than him. If she tried, she could probably get Markus for herself, not that she wanted to. So maybe Simon wouldn't want to share him with her, especially after she outed him in front of the whole school, revealed his crush to Markus and finally stole said crush for herself.

But then, Simon was always selfless. It was hard to know if he would really be fine sharing the one he loved, or if he would keep his jealousy for himself for the sake of others.

Finally, would Markus be fine having two lovers ? Honestly, the probability of him being fine with that was very very high. Considering his current state about letting Simon away, and his non reaction to dump North and get him, North could speculate about Markus’ will to get them both at the same time. The only reason he hadn't made a move was probably because he didn't want to hurt North as much as he had hurt Simon.

Gosh, could she really live with two guys that selfless ? 

Yeah well, the answer was obviously yes. 

Did she make her mind then ? Yes. 

So what was she about to do with that now ? She could talk to Markus about it, but she didn't want to get his hopes up if eventually Simon refused to share him. Then she should talk to Simon first, to be sure he was alright. But what if Markus didn't take it as great as she thought he would ? There was always a little chance of everything going down. Then should she talk to them both at the same time ?

God no, that wouldn't end well, she could feel it.

Then what ?

 

“Josh !!”

 

The man jumped visibly and turned his head to look at North, visibly frightened by her sudden yell. North made her way in the study room, under the glare of the teacher monitoring it and sat next to Josh.

 

“I need your help on that one !” she told Josh more quietly so she wouldn't be thrown out of the room.

“ _ You _ need  _ my _ help ?”

“Yep. About Markus, Simon and me.”

Josh grunted audibly. “I don't want to get involved in your fucked up love triangle. That's what I hate the most !”

“First off, it’s to help your best friends, so suck it up.” Josh sighed at that. “Second, it’s to stop the situation from continuing to be a love triangle.”

 

Josh finally raised a brow, looking slightly interested. North started to expose her ideas to him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote Markus and North's holidays as an extra. Gonna be in the next part of the serie with the other one shots ;)


	11. Chapter 11

Markus was surprised that morning to see Josh was the only one waiting in front of the school’s gate. He had grown used to see Simon beside him every morning, then North. And now it was only him, like last year when it was only the two of them.

Markus didn’t like it. He loved Josh, really, but he didn’t want to go back to the way it was before. He was fine with Simon and North spicing up the conversations. He was fine with Simon’s smiles and North’s sarcasm. It felt good. It felt  _ natural _ .

 

“My, you look like that time in junior high,” Josh sighed exasperated. “That really put a blow on you right ?”

“Hello to you too.”

Josh closed his eyes and shook his head. “Yeah yeah, hello, whatever.”

 

He took Markus’ arm and started walking toward the school. Markus looked confused, staring behind him before looking at Josh again.

 

“Aren’t we waiting for North ?”

“Nope. She’s already in.”

“Oh…”

 

So that was why he hadn’t found her at home this morning. She had came here first. By herself. Without him…

Great, now he didn’t even have his girlfriend. No Simon, no North. Nothing. Was she avoiding him because he was too focused on Simon ? Was she getting bored of him ? God, he didn’t want to lose her too…

 

“I swear, you and Simon are the worst people to talk out of their shit ever !”

“You didn’t try to talk me out of my shit,” Markus countered with a raised brow.

“I literally just did it…”

 

Uh… Did he zone out ? Josh sighed heavily, getting more frustrated with him.

 

“Al-fucking-right. Earth to Markus, stay with me now !”

“Alright alright… Stop it.”

“I ain’t stopping no shit. You’re staying focused and you’re listening to me, ok ?”

 

Markus breathed out loudly, but obliged.

 

“You’re losing your girlfriend too by acting like that,” Markus winced at having the truth shoved right in his face. “and trust me ! It has to be some big shit for me to get involved into a  _ fucking _ love triangle ! You know how much I hate that !”

“Why are you doing that then ?”

“Because it’s worse seeing you fucking shit up like that than actually telling you out of your shit !”

 

Wow, to that extent ? For Josh to actually get involved with something he hates more than violence, it must be worst than what Markus thought it was.

 

“So fucking tell me now, do you love Simon ?”

 

_ Ugh… _

 

“Just tell me so we are done with that,” Josh grunted when Markus stayed silent.

“Yes !”

“Alright ! Do you love North now ?”

Markus looked at Josh like he had done something stupid. “Of course I do !”

“And then what ? You rejected Simon but you agreed to go out with North, so why are you like that now ?”

“I told him no because I was totally confused ! I wanted to have more time to think !”

 

Josh rolled his eyes. Markus rarely wanted to hurt people, but right now he wanted to slap Josh.

 

“Alright ! You love Simon, you love North, North loves you, Simon loves you, why the fuck is that that complicated then ?”

 

_ Uh ? What ? _

 

“You want them both right ?” Josh reassured himself when he got no reaction from Markus. “At the same time.”

Markus grumbled. “Yeah… That’s stupid, I know.”

“Gotta agree with that,  _ you _ are stupid.”

 

Ugh, where was he going with that ? Markus was getting really tired right now.

Josh didn’t say anything else. Instead, he fetched his phone out and started texting someone as if he hadn’t just annoyed Markus with his problems without helping him at all. He  _ had said _ he was trying to help, but Markus didn’t see where at all. Like,  _ at all. _

 

“Alright, need to go to class. Wait for you in front to eat at the Chinese ?”

“Whatever,” Markus groaned, abandoning Josh here and going to his own class. He wasn’t happy  _ at all _ right now.

  
  
  


“Angel boy !!”

 

North could see Simon’s shoulder tense from behind, just like it used to when she would come to bully him at the beginning of the school year. She could also see Daniel glare at her when he turned his head to look at her. The message was clear, he didn’t want her to approach his brother anymore than that. North ignored him and stepped in front of Simon, who managed by god-knows which force to muster an almost genuine smile.

 

“How about you go fuck yourself somewhere else bitch ?” Daniel spitted. She wanted to punch him so much… Instead, she took a deep breath and looked right at Simon.

“I ain’t talking to you, I need to talk to Simon.”

“As if !”

“Simon, please ?”

 

Simon looked between the two of them, before finally making a vague gesture to Daniel.

 

“It’s fine, really,” he smiled at his brother who didn’t look like he believed him at all. “You can go.”

 

Daniel took some time to go away, and when he did he was groaning under his breath and sending daggers toward North. She get it, if she hurt Simon, he’s going to kill her. No need to look at her like that.

 

“God, you really have a touchy guard dog,” she said when she looked back at Simon.

“He’s just tensed.”

“Hm. You can drop the smile you know ? I know it’s fake.”

 

Simon kept smiling a few seconds still, then he heaved a deep sigh and everything fell down.

 

“Sorry…” he said, not looking at her.

“Er… For what ?”

“I’m being petty jealous. That’s stupid…”

 

It was North turn to sigh. She shook her head.

 

“Na, you don’t have to apologise for that. It’s not like you decided to be jealous.”

 

Simon shuffled uncomfortably.

 

“I’m the one who should apologize,” North said then, starting to shuffle too. Simon sent her a questioning glance. “I kinda stole your crush, you know ?” She scratched the back of her head, trying to convey how sorry she was with her eyes and not her words.

Simon just shrugged. “He’s straight, that’s all.”

North couldn’t help but snort. “As straight as a flexible ruler, sure !”

 

Simon looked confused again.

 

“He’s bi as fuck, obviously,” North clarified.

“Oh… Then I’m not his type…”

 

Do not laugh, do not laugh…

 

“Why do you think that ?”

“Coz he rejected me ?”

 

Oh… Oh. 

 

“Is he stupid ?” She didn’t really mean to say that outloud, but it came out by itself.

“W-Why ?”

 

North shook her head. Why the hell had Markus rejected him and not her ? The hell was he thinking ?

 

“Alright, let’s just forget he ever rejected you, ok ?” she sighed.

“But-”

“No really, forget he ever did that,” North cut him out, leveling her finger in front of his mouth to shush him.

 

Simon looked weirdly at her. She could understand, she was getting a bit too far away from her initial goal.

 

“I’m going to be straight ok ? I mean, direct…”

 

That finally made Simon snort. North could feel a tiny smile forming on her lips.

 

“I wanted to ask you if you would be fine sharing Markus.”

 

And here she was making another guy bug. It was starting to become a habit. Simon blinked at her for some long minutes, obviously having a hard time processing what she was saying. 

 

“What ?” he said after ages.

“Would you be fine sharing Markus with me ? As, him being our boyfriend. Like, me dating him and you dating him too.”

 

North could almost hear the gears turning inside Simon’s head. He still looked very fuzzy.

 

“You… You would be fine letting me date Markus too ?” he repeated, as if he wanted to be sure he wasn’t hallucinating.

North sighed, annoyed. “The question was : would  _ you _ be fine with that ? Obviously I am, either I wouldn’t be suggesting it.”

“You want to share him with me ?”

 

Ugh… She started to question if she was really fine living with two selfless guys. Why were they both like that ? Her question was clear no ?!

When she blinked out from her exasperation, Simon looked about to cry.

 

“Wow hey, don’t- don’t get yourself in that state, it was only a suggestion !” she panicked.

“W-Why ?”

“Why what ?”

“Why are you doing this ?”

 

God, she’ll have to slap them both later.

 

“Coz Markus’ an idiot and you are  _ too _ selfless for your own good and you are both literal angels who deserve to be happy so… well, whatever.”

Another blink. “But you- you are-”

“I’m fine with that, yes,” she repeated, refraining another sigh. Simon would end up questioning her more if she showed she was exasperated by his antics. “As long as it’s with you, I’m fine. So ?”

 

Alright,  _ that _ she didn’t planned. Simon totally threw himself on her to embrace her. His head was buried in North’s hair (had he always been that much taller than her ?) and he was almost choking her to death. 

Would it be anybody else, she would have hated that and panicked. But apparently, she was fine with Simon hugging her, just like she was fine with Markus. It was great to know. North patted his back awkwardly.

 

“I assume that’s good with you too ?”

 

Simon just nodded in her hair.

 

“Great. Care to eat with us then ?”

 

Simon finally let her go, only to bounce some more from foot to foot. He looked a bit embarrassed still.

 

“Will Markus…”

“Markus will love it and totally shit himself from happiness. I can assure you.” Simon sniggered for the second time. “See you at lunch then ?”

 

Simon’s sweet smile was finally back on his face as he agreed to it.

  
  
  


When Simon arrived, the other three were already at the front gate waiting for him. Markus looked pretty mad, not that Simon could know why, while Josh was totally unphased and North was looking blanked face at them both. She was the first to see him and waved him over. Simon took a deep breath and rejoined the group.

 

“Hello,” he greeted with a shy smile.

“Hey blondie,” North and Josh greeted back at the same time.

 

Apparently, Josh knew he would be coming, because he wasn’t surprised at all by his sudden apparition after a whole week not seeing each other. Markus hadn’t been kept informed though, because his face turned surprised and almost euphoric. Wow… Did he missed him that much ?

 

“Chinese’s good right ?” North smirked, taking both Markus’ and Simon’s arm to drag them toward the buffet. Josh followed them quietly behind.

“Always !”

 

Markus didn’t say anything for the whole trip, only looking back and forth between the three of them. He knew he was the only one left out, and only wanted to understand what they had all planned.

It was only after Simon and North’s second plates that the subject was dropped.

 

“So !” North chirped once she had her third plate in front of her. “Did you see his neck, Angel boy ?”

 

Simon blinked and looked at Markus’ neck to see the ring he had gotten him hanging there. As he thought, the green and blue reflections of the ring were the same color as his eyes. It matched well.

 

“And this one’s yours ! Not Carl’s,” she continued, pulling on her white pullover.

“And I’ve already finished half the serie,” Josh ended.

 

Simon had to admit there was a bit of bubbling joy agitating his insides.They were all wearing or using what he got them, even North despite having it double. Simon smiled shyly again.

 

“I hope you enjoy it,” he whispered behind a cup of water.

“You won’t see me in anything else than those sweaters, just so you know !” North exclaimed happily.

“The story’s nice,” Josh acknowledged. “Must have taken you quiet a time to find something without violence  _ and _ romance.”

“Ugh, don’t ask,” Simon laughed at that, remembering how Daniel had whined about spending half a day at the library.

 

They all turned toward Markus. This once still looked very confused.

 

“I love it, obviously,” he said. “But I’d also love to understand why everyone seems to know what’s happening except me ?”

 

Simon looked sheepishly at North. He had a vague idea, but he still didn’t know about North’s plans either. The girl had a really bright smile on her face.

 

“I prepared some gifts too !”

 

Josh shook his head knowingly. Markus still looked confused.

 

“So, you love me,” she started, making Markus pale dangerously. “You’d better say you love me…”

Markus glanced apologetically at Simon, before looking back at North. “Of course I do.”

 

The pang of jealousy was almost not here. Simon was surprised he didn’t feel it much, like he was before.

 

North nodded to herself. “And you love Simon.”

 

Markus paled even more. Simon started to get uncomfortable too. 

 

“I…”

“Be true please,” North asked him. “I won’t get mad, really.”

“I… I do…”

 

_ Oh. My. GOD !!! AAAAAAAAAH !!!! _

 

“Alright Simon, calm your tits,” North sighed as she put a hand on his shoulder. His insides were burning and flying and twisting  _ deliciously _ right now ! It was almost too much !

“If you’re trying to make me uncomfortable, then it’s working,” Markus almost whined.

“Ah yeah. Well, basically I talked to Simon this morning and we agreed to share you,” she explained conversationally as she took a bite of her chips.

 

Simon could have laugh at Markus’ shocked expression if he hadn’t reacted the same earlier.

 

“You what ?”

“We agreed to share you.”

 

Instead of explaining it more to Markus like she had done earlier to him, she kept quiet and enjoyed the fuzzy expression on Markus’ face. Simon couldn’t help but smile.

 

“We agreed to date you… both of us, at the same time,” he explained at her place. “If… If you want it, of course. If you don’t then I can-”

“No no ! I want !!!” Markus cried suddenly, attracting the stares of several people in the restaurant. “Please stay.”

 

Gosh, he was bubbling too much right now…

 

“Oh, great,” North said, the same tone as earlier. “Just before you ask : I’m fine with it, he’s fine with it, so if you’re fine with it too let’s just start it already and stop the whole mess ok ?”

“I- Yeah, I’m fine with it.”

 

Markus looked so blessed right now. Like it was the best day of his life and he couldn’t believe it was happening in the real world. Simon must be looking the same too, but more… bright, as they would say. Simon couldn’t stop smiling, his cheeks were hurting, and he didn’t give a single damn about it !

 

“But how would it work ?”

 

Ah yeah… How ? North only shrugged.

 

“Dunno. I guess we’ll have to do something we are really bad at.”

“Which is ?”

“Fucking talking to each other about what we’re really feeling.”

 

Ah yeah, it would prove to be difficult… 

They needed to keep communicating, tell each other what they didn’t enjoy so they would stop it, and what they enjoyed on the contrary. It would take some time and efforts to get accustomed to it, Simon guessed.

 

“Alright…” he agreed first.

“We really suck at that, don’t we ?” Markus sighed.

“Fucking totally !” Josh nodded. “I can’t believe you made me watch a love triangle drama in direct live !”

“Yeah, thanks for helping by the way !” North chirped, putting some extra shrimps in Josh’s plate as a thank you.

“It was so damn simple and you kept turning around the solution all this time,” Josh groaned, gladly accepting the shrimps. “I hate you.”

“Of course you do,” Markus sniggered for the first time that day.

  
  
  



	12. Chapter 12 : Epilogue

“I think your last bruise finally disappeared.”

 

North looked at the mirror in front of her and checked her chest and back. It has been such a  _ long _ time since she had had a clear skin, without any cut or bruise or slump of redness or scratch. She was feeling a little proud about it, really. It felt like her period in the street was definitely finished. It felt awesome.

She smiled at Markus behind her through the mirror and finished to braid her hair before turning over.

 

“Guess I’m perfect again !”

Markus laughed. “You were  _ always _ perfect.”

 

No, Markus and Simon were perfect.  _ She _ wasn’t. But she still appreciated the compliment, really. She could almost believe it, considering how genuine Markus looked.

 

“Do you plan on staying in underwears to go to the movies or ?”

 

North snorted and finally pulled a shirt and some pants on. 

She  _ loved _ Markus. So much. Even half naked, he didn’t look at her like she was some prey, like every other did before him. He didn’t look at her with lust or any back thought. Just  _ lovingly _ . Ugh, her heart wouldn’t survive long like that.

 

“Who’s choosing the film this time ?” she asked as she put Markus’ coat on and her boots.

“Sadly, it’s you.”

“Oh it’s gonna be fun !!!”

 

Markus rolled his eyes. They both knew she would chose the worst horror movie possible, and they both knew Simon will  _ hate _ it. North enjoyed teasing the blond as much as she enjoyed teasing Markus. Besides, it will give an excuse for Simon to cuddle with Markus. She was helping him, in a disturbing way.

 

“Alright ! Let us go !”

 

They waved goodbye at Carl and exited the house. North had started living here since Christmas, two months ago. She hadn’t want it at first, of course, but Markus and Carl had teamed up to convince her. Saying if she was that worried about rent and stuff, she could repay them back once she will start to have a real job and earn real wage. North had agreed, eventually. And now she could enjoy that awesome bath everyday !

Markus and North made their way calmly toward the train station so they could get downtown hand in hand. It was still awfully cold out there. Spring was still a month away, but there was still ten centimeters of snow on the street ! Not that North hated it.

She let go of Markus hand, under his questioning gaze, and bent over.

 

“Oh no !”

 

Markus started running away immediately when he saw her gathering snow in her hands. North smiled deviously and started to run too, throwing her snowball at Markus’ back with perfect aim.

 

“Come back here you coward !!!” she screamed, having to gather some snow again while Markus was still running.

“I’m not going to the movies soaked again !!!”

“Yes you are !!!”

 

To her surprise, a snowball landed on her hair. She glared at Markus who was playing innocent a few feet away.

 

“What ? I’m not going to be the only one cov- Argh !”

 

North laughed wildly. Her snowball landed right in his mouth.

When they arrived in front of the movies, they were both soaked through and covered in powder, and they were both twenty minutes late too. Markus had warned Simon, of course, but still.

Simon sighed, a little smile plastered on his face still, and shook his head.

 

“Hey Angel boy !” North greeted as if it was the most normal thing for them to be soaked.

“Hello North.”

 

Markus didn’t let go of her hand when he leaned over to kiss Simon. The boy was still in his blushing period every time Markus would display affection toward him. That kinda made North laugh.

 

“Hello Markus…”

 

Markus smiled lovingly, the same kind of smile he would give her. North could almost  _ aww _ out loud, because they were both awfully cute and it shouldn’t be legal. At all !

 

“So, I suppose we’re late for the beginning of my movie, so let’s eat ?” North suggested after having checked quickly at the information board.

“It’s going to be a horror movie right ?” Simon looked at her pleadingly, as if it could make her change her mind.

“Damn right it is !!”

 

Simon sighed again. North started to drag Markus toward the nearest McDonald so they could finally eat something. Markus just had time to take Simon’s hand too and drag him with them.

  
  
  


People looked weirdly at them when they ordered their meal, and when they ate, and when they got their movie tickets. Markus holding both North and Simon’s hand probably wasn’t helping, but Simon couldn’t make himself stop tugging at his arm. He wanted to be with him too much to stop holding hands and kissing and looking at him.

Though, he still had to admit it was embarrassing him a bit to expose themselves like that. He wasn’t used to people staring like North and Markus were, but if they could both not care about it, then so could he. He just needed to focus on them instead of others.

Of course North chose the  _ worst _ horror movie possible. And Simon could only grumble quietly. After the first two times, they understood that they were spending more time arguing about which movie they would see than actually watch it. So they just decided to chose by turn. And until now, North had always chosen the  _ worst _ horror movies out and Simon hated it. North watched it with glee, Markus was slightly interested, and Simon was pissing himself each time.

Of course he had to be the one not liking horror movies.

They all snuggled in the middle of the the movie theater, at the “best places”. Simon tried to stay as calm as he could. But only twenty minutes after the beginning of the movie, his resolution crumbled down. Too much blood and jump scares…

Markus wrapped an arm around him at some point and hugged him closer. He knew, by now, that Simon didn’t like horror movies.

 

“You good ?” he whispered in Simon’s ear, who definitely didn’t blush.

“Ugh…”

 

He heard Markus huff, amused. He wasn’t amused at all ! Markus got him closer again, brushing their thighs together and petting his scalp soothingly. Simon decided to abandon watching the film and plunged his head in Markus’ neck. He felt Markus’ breath hitch slightly.

_ Oh ? _

Simon kissed his nape. Just to try. Markus tensed ever so slightly again, but he didn’t say anything. So Simon just did it again. Alright, the movie he didn’t enjoy, but that he did. Markus continued to brush his scalp, but from time to time his hand was going down slightly, brushing over his spine and shoulders.

 

“Love you…” Simon murmured below Markus’ ear.

“Love you too.”

“How about you wait to get home before fucking each other ?”

 

Simon straightened suddenly, abandoning Markus’ embrace to cover his face with his hands.

 

“North…” Markus sighed.

 

There was a little snigger coming from Markus’ other side. Markus just shook his head ever again and threw his arm back over Simon’s shoulders.

 

“That was the best movie ever !!” North chirped happily once the movie was finished. She was bouncing and making snow fly everywhere.

“That was the worst movie ever…” Simon whined back.

“You spent two hours cuddling and kissing Markus !!”

 

Yeah, true… Simon had started to kiss Markus’ neck again after North’s interruption because… well, he just couldn’t watch that movie and Markus was  _ very distracting _ . 

 

“Time for some games ?” North asked then, never wanting to end their little outings.

“Time for some games,” Markus agreed.

 

One thing Simon enjoyed about the arcade was that he could always beat North. At absolutely everything. Be it Just Dance or basket or gunning or bowling or everything. Simon couldn’t help the proud little smile when he won again their duel on a kart game, even when North was raging next to him.

 

“Markuuuuuus !” she whined pitifully, making grabby hands at Markus to get a hug. “He never lets me win !”

“I think he’s getting revenge for the movie, baby.”

Simon blinked at them. “Baby ?” It was the very first time he heard Markus call North like that.

“You want a pet name too ?”

“His pet name’s Angel.”

 

North wiggled her eyebrows at him, and Simon could feel his cheeks heating up quickly.  _ Angel _ again ? She  _ always _ called him that.

 

“No, that’s  _ your _ pet name for him. I have to find another one,” Markus hummed thoughtfully.

“Oh, give me a pet name too Simon !” North let go of Markus to turn toward Simon with excited eyes.

“Demon,” he answered immediately. North just burst out laughing.

“Sold !!”

 

Markus snorted too.

  
  
  


They ended up making their way back to the station again, having spend all their money in the arcade. Simon was going to abandon them there and walk back home after that. North decided to take revenge for the arcade, so Simon spent half the trip running around Markus to evade North’s snowballs. In the end, Markus was soaked through again, while North and Simon were immaculate.

 

“I hate you both,” Markus grumbled, fakely annoyed.

“We love you too.”

 

Their train would arrive in five little minutes, and Simon was glued to his arm. They couldn’t spend time at home like he was doing with North, so Simon was a lot more cuddly during their outings. Not that Markus didn’t appreciate it, he wanted to cuddle too.

And you know what ? If he had to be cuddly, he could as well be  _ hella _ cuddly. He took Simon in his arms and nuzzled his cheek.

 

“Hm, Markus ?” Simon murmured against his cheek.

“Hm ?”

“You good ?”

 

Markus kissed his cheek as an answer.

 

“You should come to my place too someday.”

Simon wriggled slightly in his arms. “Erm… One day. I promised my parents to come home tonight.”

 

Markus kissed his temple then. And his ear. Simon finally hugged him back and sighed contentedly when Markus kissed his neck.

 

“You want me to look somewhere else or I can enjoy the spectacle ?” North piped up from behind him. Simon looked up at her.

“What ?”

“Well, I don’t like sex but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy watching it,” North shrugged with a devious smile. 

 

That, of course, made Simon blush beautifully. Markus could only snort. He was used to North’s antics by now and knew what she enjoyed or not regarding sexual behavior. They had long discussions quickly after getting together to set up boundaries. Markus didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, after all.

 

“E-Enjoy if you want…”

 

North and Markus both blinked at him.

 

“You know she was joking right ?”

 

Now Simon looked very  _ very _ embarrassed. North smiled happily.

 

“I take the offer still !”

 

The train finally arrived. North was the first one to step in, but Markus trailed a bit behind to kiss Simon again, deepening it and taking his time to show Simon how much he loved him. Simon was totally flushed when they parted.

 

“See you tomorrow.”

 

Then he got in the train and sat next to North, who instantly took Simon’s place and cuddled with him, kissing happily his neck too.

 

“Did he gave you ideas ?” Markus laughed quietly. North was tickling him with both her breath and her lips.

“I just happen to want to cuddle you when I see how much Simon enjoys it.”

“God, what’s it going to be when he’ll come at home too ?”

“You’ll have two leeches glued to you 24/7.”

 

Markus scoffed. He could live with that, really. As long as it was North and Simon. 

 

“Sleep with me tonight ?” he suggested, kissing North’s hair as she was still nuzzling his neck.

“Gladly. You think Simon will hate it if I give you a hickey ?”

“Please, don’t start a hickey contest.”

 

North pouted but accepted not to do it. Instead she just aimed for his lips and kissed him passionately. Markus roamed his hands over North’s back, petting her hips slightly and about everything he could touch without  _ hurting _ her. North was giving his treatment back, even going under his shirt to feel his chest.

 

“Maybe wait to be at home before continuing ?” Markus suggested when they parted.

“Sure.”

 

And they did. Markus had just talked a bit to his father before North had dragged him to her room. They cuddled under the covers a bit, kissing here and there until North had enough of it and asked to stop. North still stayed comfortably wrapped in his arms.

 

“You’re warm…” she mumbled in his chest.

“Hm…”

“No, I mean, you’re  _ really  _ warm…”

“If I end up sick, it will be yours and Simon’s fault.”

 

She scoffed a bit, but she couldn’t deny it. They had both soaked him with their snowball fight. Twice, since North had done that too before going to the movies.

 

“I love you too you know ?”

Markus kissed her hair. “I know, me too.”

  
  
  


And the next day, Markus was totally ill and had to stay at home while North and Simon had to go to school.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end ?
> 
>  
> 
> Origin story finished ! Yay !! The following of the serie will come in a few days :D
> 
> Kinda all started because I wanted to give Markus both Simon and North, and also because I have a headcanon that North is asexual despite being the only android in the band having sexual parts. And now I have about 200 pages written. Wow.
> 
> THANK YOU so much for reading this little story ! I hope you liked it ! I loved reading all your comments (even if half the time I didn't know how I could answer :')) I hope you'll stay for the follow-ups ! Love you !!


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